Giga Chikadze calls out Yair Rodriguez for UFC 296 so he can fight on his first pay-per-view

Giga Chikadze wants to make his pay-per-view debut against a former interim champion.

Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) returned to the win column on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 225 main card when he defeated Alex Caceres (21-14 MMA, 16-12 UFC) at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

Chikadze rebounded from the first loss of his UFC career against Calvin Kattar. But prior to that, he was on a nine-fight winning streak, and is now eyeing a showdown with former interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez (16-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) at UFC 296 Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.

“I want to fight in pay-per-view card in December,” Chikadze said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “I’ve never fought on a pay-per-view card, and I know it’s going to be a huge show. I want to be there and I want to compete against ‘El Pantera’ Yair Rodriguez.”

The Georgian fighter returned after a 18-month layoff. An active fighter throughout his UFC career, the time away was an unfamiliar feeling for Chikadze.

“It feels so great. I can’t even explain,” Chikadze said. “It’s been a pretty long time, and I felt like I was without a job. Finally I got my dream job back, and I haven’t been so happy for a long time. So finally, we’re back baby … It’s been 15 minutes, and I feel like every second I looked great, and I’m pretty happy after one-and-a-half year layoff with my performance.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 225.