- Giga Chikadze defeats Alex Caceres in their featherweight showdown at UFC Singapore
- “Ninja” will likely remain a Top-10 145-pounder
UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze put on a masterful performance in his return at UFC Singapore as he outstrikes Alex Caceres en route to a decision victory.
Back to his winning ways
Chikadze came in looking to prevent another defeat, having lost to Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 46. It was the first time “Ninja” stepped inside the Octagon after 18 months but he showed not even a bit of ring rust.
Barring Caceres’ stunning spinning back fist in the opening round, Chikadze dominated the crowd-favorite “Bruce Leeroy” for the most part of the fight with his remarkable striking. Chikadze was also able to read Caceres’ unconventional strikes and hit back with some well-timed and more accurate counters.
After three rounds, all three judges unsurprisingly scored the bout 30-27 in favor of “Ninja.”
#UFCSingapore Official Result: Giga Chikadze (@giga_chikadze 30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Alex Caceres by Unanimous Decision
All Results: https://t.co/iWStRbDm8c
— UFC News (@UFCNews) August 26, 2023
The victory belongs to @Giga_Chikadze today! 🙌#UFCSingapore | Tune in live on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/UcfbSOYj6v
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2023
Still a Top-10 fighter
The win over Caceres meant that Chikadze will likely retain his spot as the No. 9 featherweight contender. Had the fight gone the other way, there’s a great chance that “Bruce Leeroy” would’ve broken into the Top 10 instead.
Chikadze worked his way up to the official rankings by going unbeaten in his first seven fights under the UFC banner. He is now back in the win column and will hope to land a fellow Top-10 contender once again. Chikadze’s pro MMA record is now 15-3. On the other hand, Caceres will try and hold on to the No. 15 spot in the rankings.
