It was a bit of a surprise when the UFC signed Chikadze in 2019,
given how the Georgian’s mixed martial arts career had gone up to
that point. A highly touted kickboxing convert, Chikadze ran over
what barely qualified as professional competition, looked
unimpressive in an upset loss on the Contender Series, then went
right back to crushing cans until the UFC picked him up a year
later. No matter how he got there, “Ninja” did an impressive job of
staying afloat once he was on the UFC roster, kicking off his run
with seven straight wins. Chikadze had to skate by a bit at first,
playing neutralizer with his kick-heavy striking game and showing
just enough wrestling and grappling to survive. He finally started
to open things up after about a year of facing professional-level
competition, breaking out in 2021 with knockout wins over Cub Swanson
and Edson
Barboza. Chikadze has struggled to build on that momentum,
partially in terms of results—he has lost two of his last three—and
mostly due to inactivity, as 2021 marks the last time he has fought
more than once in a calendar year. There is some interest as to how
Chikadze fares from here, particularly as he enters his late 30s.
He’s still remarkably sharp when his opponent gives him time and
space to work, but getting things on his terms has proven much more
difficult against better opponents who choose to impose their game
rather than giving him a ton of respect. After a loss to Arnold
Allen in 2024, Onama represents a dangerous but winnable
bounce-back opponent for Chikadze.
The UFC’s first fighter born in Uganda, Onama impressed in going
toe-to-toe with Mason Jones
in a late-notice UFC debut, then proceeded to show that almost all
of his fights wind up as toe-to-toe wars. Onama is a clear natural
talent but not much of a strategist, mostly meeting opponents on
his terms and finding opportunities as they come, usually through
blunt force. While Onama is on a strong streak, winning five of his
last six, it’s hard to say any of those victories have been
particularly clean. Even against opponents like Roberto
Romero who are clearly in a lower athletic class, Onama usually
gives up a lot of gains until he can take over the fight through
sheer horsepower. This fight could cut either way, depending on
when Onama decides to flick the switch and become more aggressive,
as he’s much more effective if this turns into a sloppy war. The
call is that Chikadze can put enough doubt into his mind early to
stem that tide and survive down the stretch whenever things start
to turn south. The pick is Chikadze via decision.
UFC News & Features
