Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Dec. 4-10)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Dec. 4-10.

Bryce Mitchell steps into UFC 296 vs. Josh Emmett on short notice

Enter Bryce Mitchell into the UFC 296 mix, replacing Giga Chikadze against Josh Emmett in an important featherweight bout.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is stepping in short notice.

With [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] out due to a groin injury, Mitchell (16-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) inserts into the lineup opposite [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in a featherweight contender prelim. The fight takes place as part of UFC 296 on Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The promotion announced the change Wednesday.

Mitchell, 29, bounced back from a submission loss to Ilia Topuria when he defeated Dan Ige by unanimous decision in September.

Emmett, 38, looks to snap a two-fight losing skid. He most recently competed in June in a lopsided unanimous decision outing to Topuria. Prior to that, Emmett lost an interim title bout against Yair Rodriguez by submission.

With the change, the UFC 296 lineup includes:

  • Champ Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell
  • Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Ariane Lipski vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev
  • Cody Durden vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Giga Chikadze shares video of moment he tore groin while training for UFC 296

Oh no, that didn’t look good for Giga Chikadze.

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] won’t fight at UFC 296 as originally scheduled, and now we know why.

On Monday night, Chikadze posted video on X (formerly Twitter) of the moment he suffered a torn groin while training for his fight with Josh Emmett. As a result, Chikadze withdrew from the bout slated for Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) didn’t offer a timetable for his return and only wrote, “I’ll be back soon.” Depending on the severity, his recovery could take anywhere from four to 12 weeks.

It’s unclear if Emmett will remain on the card. Earlier Monday, he shared a post on X asking who could be ready to fight him on less than two weeks’ notice.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Giga Chikadze injured, out of UFC 296 fight vs. Josh Emmett

One of the top fights at UFC 296 is no longer happening now that Giga Chikadze won’t meet Josh Emmett.

One of the top fights at UFC 296 is no longer happening now that [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] won’t meet [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag].

Chikadze suffered an undisclosed injury and is out of the featherweight bout, a person with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie on Monday evening. It’s unclear if the UFC is searching for a replacement, but Emmett shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) asking, “Who’s ready Dec 16th?”

UFC 296 takes place Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) vs. Emmett (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) was locked in as the night’s featured prelim between the No. 6 and No. 8 featherweights in the official UFC rankings.

Chikadze, 35, won his most recent bout, a unanimous decision against Alex Caceres this past August at UFC Fight Night 225. Prior to that, he’d been out of action for 19 months coming out of a loss to Calvin Kattar. Chikadze was scheduled to fight Sodiq Yusuff in September 2022 but withdrew because of injury a week before that fight.

Emmett, 38, was looking to get back on track against Chikadze after losing both of his fights so far this year. He lost an interim title fight to Yair Rodriguez by submission at UFC 284 and followed that up with a unanimous decision loss to Ilia Topuria in the Fight of the Night at UFC on ABC 5.

Below is the UFC 296 lineup:

  • Champ Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Josh Emmett vs. opponent TBA
  • Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Ariane Lipski vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev
  • Cody Durden vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Giga Chikadze dismisses Josh Emmett’s losing skid, expects ‘best version’ at UFC 296

Giga Chikadze doesn’t look at Josh Emmett’s two-fight losing skid as a sign of being on the downturn in his career entering UFC 296.

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] is not looking at [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] as being uniquely vulnerable ahead of their UFC 296 matchup next month.

Emmett (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) enters the featherweight fight with Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), which takes place Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN2 prior to the pay-per-view main card and following early prelims on ESPN+, on the first two-fight losing skid of his more than 12-year career.

At 38, there are questions about whether Emmett is falling off, or he just ran into the absolute elite of the division in a unanimous decision defeat to Ilia Topuria at UFC on ABC 5 in June, as well as a second-round submission loss to Yair Rodriguez in an interim title bout at UFC 284 in February.

Chikadze tends to lead toward the latter, and that’s why he’s not underestimating Emmett whatsoever entering fight night.

“For me, I didn’t really pay attention where he’s coming from, because I know he’s a top 10 fighter,” Chikadze told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s a very high-level athlete and I know that I have to be ready for my opponent’s best version. So, I’m coming from the win, but all this doesn’t matter for me. It’s a really important fight on the table for me.”

Chikadze, No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, says No. 7-ranked Emmett would still be a valuable win for his career as he looks to build toward a title shot.

The Georgian fighter is determined to make another run to the belt, which he was well on his way to doing before his nine-fight winning streak was snapped by Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN 32 in January 2022. After 18 months off to recover from injuries, Chikadze returned in August to outwork Alex Caceres for a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 225.

A victory at UFC 296 would put him back on a streak, and Chikadze knows how significant that is.

“I’m not fighting only for the money here,” Chikadze said. “I’m fighting to reach my goal to become a champion from Georgia, to make my people proud, to make my community proud. It’s been a dream for all my life and that’s why I’m inside the UFC, in the best organization, to become the best fighter.”

Chikadze, 35, will be looking to put his decorated striking background to use when he enters the octagon with Emmett. Whether that will lead to a knockout remains to be seen, but with the stakes involved in this particular fight, he will be happy getting his hand raised in any fashion.

“I’m always looking for the knockout in the fights,” Chikadze said. “I enjoy making that happen, and also that’s what I’m known for. I’m a knockout artists, and every time I step into the octagon that’s what I’m trying to make it happen. But at the same time, the win is very important in this fight.

“He’s very experienced, he fought for a title – everyone who’s beat him has fought for a title, or is fighting for the title. I know this fight means a lot, so I’ve got to win. Any type of win, I’ll take it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Nevada clears Giga Chikadze for UFC 296 after ‘serious’ head injury

Nevada now requires fighters who sustain serious head injuries, like Giga Chikadze, to go before the commission for an individual hearing.

Brain injury is a risk pro fighters take each time they step into the cage or ring, but now Nevada is requiring special relicensing hearings on an individual basis for those who suffered neurological damage deemed serious.

Tuesday, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) cleared [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] to compete once again in its jurisdiction on Dec. 16 at UFC 296 in Las Vegas vs. Josh Emmett.

“Giga Chikadze had a serious head injury,” executive director Jeff Mullen said at the meeting, which MMA Junkie joined electronically. “He did go through serious medical tests. He was cleared and his suspension was lifted. He fought in another jurisdiction (since) earlier this year, but he wasn’t licensed here. Now he’s coming up for licensing in December and he has had an additional (test). The other test he had a CAT scan after the previous fight. He has been cleared by all the tests. He has been cleared by our chief medical advisor.”

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While it’s unclear when the brain injury occurred, Chikadze has not competed in Nevada since a January 2022 loss to Calvin Kattar, in which he endured 127 strikes to the head. He’s fought once outside Nevada, an August victory over Alex Caceres in Singapore.

The brain injury hearing for Chikadze is the second in four months for a professional MMA fighter seeking re-licensure in Nevada. UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque went before the commission under similar circumstances in July and received clearance for a brain bleed.

“Any time we have an application for a license with a combatant that has had a serious head injury, every time they have to be licensed from here forward, they have to come before the commission for approval,” Mullen said.

The hearings are tied into state statute NAC 467.017, which states, “If an applicant for a license to engage in unarmed combat or an unarmed combatant has suffered a serious head injury, including, but not limited to, a cerebral hemorrhage, the applicant or unarmed combatant must have his or her application for a license or for renewal of a license reviewed by the Commission before a license is issued or renewed.”

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 16-22)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Oct. 16-22.

Giga Chikadze vs. Josh Emmett added to loaded UFC 296 lineup

A matchup of ranked featherweights, Giga Chikadze vs. Josh Emmett is the latest edition to UFC 296, the final pay-per-view of the year.

A matchup of ranked featherweights, [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] is the latest edition to UFC 296, the final pay-per-view of the year.

The UFC announced on Wednesday that Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will take on Emmett (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in a 145-pound bout at the Dec. 16 event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.

Chikadze, 35, started his UFC career with seven straight wins, only to have his momentum derailed with a definitive loss to Calvin Kattar in January 2022. That defeat set up an 18-month layoff, which only ended in late August when Chikadze returned to defeat Alex Caceres by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 225.

Emmett, 38, will try to get the his results back on track and begin a late-career run after dropping consecutive fights. Up until February of this year, Emmett was riding a five-fight winning streak. That gave him a chance to face Yair Rodriguez for the interim title at UFC 284, but he suffered a second-round submission loss. He returned in June, only to drop a bloody and lopsided decision to Ilia Topuria.

Chikadze enters the matchup at No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, and he will try to move up as No. 7-ranked Emmett tries to defend his spot.

Below is the updated UFC 296 lineup:

  • Champ Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval – for flyweight title
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Vicente Luque vs. Ian Machado Garry
  • Giga Chikadze vs. Josh Emmett
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev
  • Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
  • Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov
  • Cody Durden vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Ariane Lipski vs. Casey O’Neill

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Alex Caceres shares X-ray of broken forearm from UFC Fight Night 225 bout vs. Giga Chikadze

UFC featherweight Alex Caceres says he broke his forearm in the first round against Giga Chikadze in Singapore.

UFC featherweight veteran [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] walked out of Singapore with more than just a loss on his record.

On the main card of UFC Fight Night 225 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Caceres (21-14 MMA, 16-12 UFC) welcomed Giga Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) back to action after his 18-month layoff. The fight went the distance and Chikadze won a clear unanimous decision, but Caceres has since learned he suffered a fractured arm in the first round.

“I broke my forearm blocking a head kick in the first round and tried my best to win even through the pain,” Caceres wrote on Instagram. “Hat’s off to Giga Chikadze for a great fight.”

The injury appeared to occur at the 1:24 mark of Round 1, when Chikadze threw a hard right head kick. Caceres blocked the attempt with his left forearm, but the impact still caused significant damage. Caceres can be seen shaking the arm out immediately after, and then was hesitant to land punches with the left hand from that point forward.

Caceres also shared his X-ray, which clearly shows the bone fracture. Check out the photo below (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwa9HDCBFP5/?img_index=1

First I would like to thank my wife and teammates @zen_ronin_ and @themmalab, my managers @firstroundmgmt, as well as the @ufc for the opportunity. Tonight wasn’t my night, i broke my forearm blocking a head kick in the first round and tried my best to win even through the pain.
Hats off to @knockoutcancer for a grate fight

The result of the fight snapped a two-fight winning streak for Caceres, who entered with back-to-back victories over Julian Erosa and Daniel Pineda. Caceres earned bonuses for both bouts; a Performance of the Night for a first-round stoppage of Erosa and Fight of the Night against Pineda.

The 28-fight UFC veteran will be sidelined for an undetermined time until cleared from his forearm injury.

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Analysis of the biggest post-fight storylines from UFC Fight Night 225, including an ode to “The Korean Zombie” after retirement.

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 225 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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