UFC Fight Night

Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze will kick off this Saturday night in Las Vegas. This weekend’s action-packed card sees 10 different matchups taking place culminating with the main event. Each of these combats can be can be wagered on at SugarHouse sportsbook.

UFC Fight Night: Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze

Date and Time: Saturday, January 15, 2022, Main Card begins at 7 PM

Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada

Opening UFC Fight Night Odds: Calvin Kattar (+190) vs. Giga Chikadze (-240)

UFC Fight Night TV Coverage: ESPN+

The main event begins at 4:00 PM EST and will be held at the UFC Apex in Sin City. The main card gets underway at 7:00 PM EST. Check out BetMaker’s preview and prediction of the main event before placing your UFC bets.

UFC Fight Night Preview

This weekend’s UFC Fight Night is headlined by a huge featherweight matchup featuring two of the class’s top fighters. Calvin Kattar enters the bout as the division’s fifth-ranked option, but he’ll have to battle it out with eighth-ranked Giga Chikadze.

Chikadze has dominated his competition since joining the UFC in 2019, ripping of a perfect 7-0 record. The up and comer last fought in August, defeating Edison Barbosa by TKO in what was his most impressive victory to date. Each of his last three wins have come via the knockout.

Kattar, meanwhile, is a seasoned veteran after signing with the UFC in 2017. He’s 6-3 in that time and is looking to prove that he’s deserving of his No. 5 ranking.

This weekend will represent Kattar’s second consecutive “Opening Night” event, as he kicked off the UFC season last January in what was his last fight to date. That matchup, unfortunately, did not go well for the striker, who was dropped in a lopsided decision by Max Holloway.

Both of these fighters possess high-level striking skills, which makes for an interesting bout. It’s not likely to go to the mat, meaning this will come down to kickboxing abilities and technical fighting.

Chikadze seems to hold the advantage, here, in both skill and size. He possesses a two-inch reach advantage and has developed into one of the sport’s top strikers. He’s won four of his seven fights by way of knockout and typically ends his bouts before the bell rings.

Kattar is coming off of a brutal loss, but one in which he showed that he can take a punch. Despite the defeat, he was able to push the fight the distance. A similar performance could prove beneficial as he can absorb some of Chikadze’s blows to tire his opponent and win in the later rounds.

Who is Favored to win UFC Fight Night?

Chikadze enters this matchup as the UFC betting favorite, boasting -240 odds at SugarHouse online sportsbook. Kattar comes in as the underdog with +190 odds of his own. The oddsmakers are high on Chikadze based on his recent performance, but they could be undervaluing Kattar. There is value in taking a chance on the veteran as you can nearly double your money with a win.

As far as length of the fight, this one is a toss-up. We mentioned that Chikadze typically ends his fights quickly (three straight KOs), rarely going beyond the third round. Kattar, meanwhile, has the ability to stretch bouts out to go the distance.

How will Saturday night’s fight end?

UFC Fight Night Prediction

While there is a ton of value in picking Kattar, his inconsistency of late is just too tough to trust. He’s just 2-2 over his last four fights and hasn’t been in the ring in a year. While he’s shown that he can take a punch, banking on him to survive another barrage of kicks and jabs is not wise.

Chikadze, on the other hand, enters with momentum and a motive. He has his eyes set on landing a future title bout, which this win could help set up. His power and knockout ability will be too much for Kattar to overcome. You may not get as much bang for your buck with a Chikadze selection, but smart money appears to be on the rising star.

UFC Fight Night Pick: Chikadze (-240)