Giga Chikadze will face Joanderson Brito. Their bout will take place 20 September 2026 at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, USA.
Giga Chikadze
After confidently breaking into the UFC in 2019, Chikadze quickly put together an impressive winning streak. He was spoken of as one of the division's most unusual strikers, with a bright future and a certain place in the top ten ahead of him.
However, the loss to Kattar in 2022 clearly broke him. He was no longer the same dangerous striker whose range everyone feared. He spent more and more time in endless feel-out phases, only rarely initiating attacks of his own. While he still tried to press forward against David Onama, in the bout with Kevin Vallejos he preferred not to throw any counterpunches at all.
At the same time, Giga appears to have no issues with his conditioning, preparation or, above all, punching power. It is most likely entirely a matter of his mental state, which is preventing him from reaching his full potential.
Joanderson Brito
Brito is perhaps Chikadze's main antithesis in the division. Unlike the Georgian, he knows how to initiate his own attacks and likes to fight on the front foot.
Joanderson becomes especially motivated when his opponent starts trying to run away. Like a shark that smells blood, the Brazilian will chase his opponent until he gives up, either dragging him into deep waters or finishing him against the cage.
And doesn't it seem logical that Brito has become the bookmakers' favourite against a static, tense Giga who lacks confidence in his actions?
Giga Chikadze vs Joanderson Brito Prediction
It is worth noting that the Georgian is head and shoulders above his opponent technically. But while the elite karateka Chikadze spends a couple of minutes setting up just one confident attack, the chaotic, bold, durable and fired-up Brazilian manages to throw several combinations at different levels.
Of course, this approach often leaves Joanderson open to a counterstrike. But Giga, who is used to dropping his hands towards his body, has also been caught by hooks many times when he failed to pull back to his trademark long range.
Clearly, it is still difficult to regard Brito as an outright favourite. The odds on his victory are not especially tempting either. However, given both fighters' styles and the Georgian's potential desire to finally raise the tempo and put on an exciting fight, alongside a bet on the Brazilian we can also consider an early finish.
