The UFC Apex in Las Vegas hosted the fight promotion’s first event of 2022 on Saturday featuring a featherweight bout between contenders Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze.
Kattar entered the bout looking to rebound from a loss to former champion Max Holloway while Chikadze hoped to extend his winning streak and enter the realm of title challenger.
Kattar may be put in his best career performance on Saturday, dominating Chikadze and snapping his nine-fight winning streak.
Chikadze came out aggressive in the opening frame, landing leg kicks and setting the pace. He slipped after missing with a head kick and Kattar gained top position kept Chikadze on the ground for the remainder of the round.
In the second round, Kattar began pressuring Chikadze and it payed off. Chikadze was able to employ his kicking offense due to Kattar’s pressure. The two slugged it out for most of the round with Kattar connecting with a spinning elbow and finishing the round strong.
As the fight got into the third and fourth rounds, Kattar’s pressure had Chikadze on his heels. Kattar’s jab repeatedly found a home and his right hand connected to its target regularly. Chikadze showed his toughness and fought back, but didn’t have an answer for Kattar’s high output.
UFC Vegas 46 live results: Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze
Final round, Chikadze picked up the pace, but wasn’t able to connect with anything significant. The two stood toe-to-toe in the closing moments. With seconds remaining in the fight, Kattar knocked Chiikadze down.
After 25 minutes of fighting, all three judges scored the fight for Kattar. The scorecards read 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44.
Kattar entered Saturday’s bout ranked No. 5 in the 145-pound division while Chikadze was ranked No. 8.
Calvin Kattar snaps Giga Chikadze’s winning streak in UFC Vegas 46 main event
