Giga Chikadze frustrated waiting for next UFC booking after 18-month layoff with five surgeries

LAS VEGAS – Giga Chikadze is growing tired of waiting for his next assignment.

UFC featherweight contender Chikadze (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has not seen action since a unanimous decision loss to Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN 32 in January 2022. He was sidelined for four months with injuries that he said required five surgeries to fix, but has been ready to compete for well over a year.

Chikadze said he’s been lined up for fights against Sodiq Yusuff, Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega during the layoff, but each potential opponent sustained injuries, further delaying his return.

Now he’s left in a state of limbo, and isn’t sure what’s next.

“It’s been year-and-a-half I’ve been trying to get a fight,” Chikadze told MMA Junkie Radio at UFC X Radio Row earlier this month. “It’s a little bit frustrating because I’ve been training for a year and two months for a fight to prepare. It’s like a camp, a 14-month camp I’ve been preparing. In that time, usually people get a lot of injuries. I’m still good. I’m just waiting to come back.

“Fighters also declining and fighters they offered me, they got injured. Sodiq got injured. Also, ‘Zombie’ got injured, then they scheduled with other guy. Then Ortega, he had a prior injury. Now I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Prior to his loss against Kattar, which is his only defeat inside the octagon, Chikadze had reeled off seven consecutive victories under the UFC banner at 145 pounds. He turns 35 next month, which means time is of the essence to get back to work.

To hear more from Chikadze, watch the complete interview above.