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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the exciting featherweight main event matchup between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN 32.
UFC on ESPN 32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,225, the boys bring on guests [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] and Andrew Simon. Moreno is getting set to defend his UFC bantamweight title for the first time in a trilogy rematch with former champ Deiveson Figueiredo. Former AXS TV Fights CEO Andrew Simon, now president and CEO of the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, is featured on Friday’s new episode of “Undercover Boss.” The guys also discussed the latest MMA news, including Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 32 event, Invicta FC 45 results, Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal and more. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Laura Sanko will get her first shot as a desk analyst for UFC on ESPN 32 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
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The UFC’s 2022 schedule kicks off on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 32 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.
Details of who will work as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the situation, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.
UFC on ESPN 32 faces a number of late-notice changes ahead of the event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A couple of changes have shaken up Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 32.
UFC bantamweight [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] is now being targeted to fight [autotag]Kevin Croom[/autotag] after Kelleher (23-12 MMA, 7-5 UFC) saw his original opponent Saidyokub Kakhramonov withdraw from the bout due to undisclosed reasons.
The news was confirmed by MMA Junkie following an initial report by My MMA News on Wednesday.
Additionally, the women’s strawweight bout between Vanessa Demopoulos and Silvana Gomez Juarez has been moved to UFC 270 on Jan. 22 due to undisclosed reasons. The card is set to go down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Demopoulos announced the news on her Instagram.
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Kelleher is coming off a unanimous decision win over Domingo Pilarte back in August. He’s 4-2 in his past six bouts. That stretch includes three Performance of the Night bonuses.
Meanwhile, Croom (21-13 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is looking to get back to his winning ways, as he lost to veteran Alex Caceres in February 2021. He’s still in search of his first official UFC victory, as he saw his UFC debut win overturned due to a positive marijuana test. He originally had a submission win over Roosevelt Roberts before having the victory turned into a no contest.
Below is the updated lineup for UFC on ESPN 32:
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Chikadze isn’t always the most outspoken fighter on the UFC roster, but that might be changing moving forward.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] was hoping he would get the call to face reigning UFC featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], but that honor went instead to [autotag]Chang Sung Jung[/autotag], the man best known as “The Korean Zombie.”
Chikadze isn’t always the most outspoken fighter on the UFC roster, but that might be changing moving forward.
“I think I’ve been too nice all my career, and maybe it’s time to talk some sh*t,” Chikadze told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “Just wait for my trash talk. I’ve learned English very well now, and I’m ready to go.”
Chikadze couldn’t help but laugh a little as he declared to step up his call-out game. After all, it doesn’t necessarily fit the personality the Georgian striker has shown during his seven-fight UFC run, but he does seem committed to the plan.
Take, for instance, his thoughts on Volkanovski accepting the fight with Jung.
“That little chump, he’s taking the easy task,” Chikadze said. “‘Korean Zombie’ has probably like from the last seven fights, he’s 4-3. I’m on a roll. I’m 7-0 since I got into UFC, so how can you avoid me?
“There is a reason why he’s avoiding me, and I understand that. You know, he’s fighting the guy who’s already dead. He’s a zombie, you know, and I’m here, the new guy. New blood. New dog. Ninja, and I deserve to be standing right there.”
For now, Chikadze (14-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has vowed to set his frustrations aside. After all, he’s facing Calvin Kattar (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 32 event, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
“It doesn’t change my attention about this fight,” Chikadze said “Even if somebody’s going to fight for the title, the winner is going to fight me, so I’m standing right there and waiting my chance. Let’s see what happens.”
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It’s unquestionably a big fight at 145 pounds. After all, Kattar enters the fight at No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, and Chikadze is No. 12. It’s a fight that should provide plenty of fireworks, as well, with both men known best for their striking skills.
“He has some good hands, strong,” Chikadze said of Kattar. “He’s a knockout power guy. That’s why I give him some credit. You know, he finishes guys.
“Some people throw 500 punches and can’t finish the guy. This guy can take 500 punches and keep moving forward, and usually, he finishes. That’s why this fight excites me. He’s never been broken. He’s never been knocked out or knocked down, so it’s a challenge to me this time.”
Should he win, especially impressively, Chikadze would certainly have some leverage to face the winner of Volkanovski vs. Jung, which is expected to take place at April’s UFC 273. Of course, it was former champ Max Holloway’s withdrawal that opened up a spot for “The Korean Zombie.”
Chikadze knows Holloway’s track record allows him to call some shots but also thinks “Blessed” might be angling for something a little different.
“To be honest with you, what I believe, Max Holloway wants to fight Conor McGregor, and I think he’s waiting for him,” Chikadze said. “I don’t know. That’s my feeling, you know? And definitely, that’s a big payday for him.”
Whether or not Chikadze’s prediction is correct remains to be seen, but what is certain is that he must prove victorious on Saturday to remain involved in any conversations about future title shots. He’s certainly aware of that reality, which is why he’s pushing aside and potential frustrations at this week’s developments – at least for the time being.
“It made me a little bit upset, but I have things to do,” Chikadze said. “I’m here for my life opportunity.”
To see the full interview with Chikadze, check out the video above.
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Jennifer Maia is driven to get a title rematch with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of UFC on ESPN 32.
[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] still has championship ambitions in the UFC women’s flyweight division, and avenging a loss to Katlyn Chookagian will go a long way in helping her attain that goal.
Maia (19-7-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) meets Chookagian (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 32 card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+. It’s a rematch of a meeting between the pair at UFC 244 in November 2019, which Chookagian won by unanimous decision.
The UFC opting to pair Maia and Chookagian up again came as somewhat of a surprise. The initial bout wasn’t that long ago, and it wasn’t exactly a controversial result. Maia was happy to get the opportunity, though, as she can now erase a loss from her record and net a win over someone who is ranked above her.
“That was not a fight like, ‘Oh I have to have that rematch,'” Maia told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 32 media day. “I wanted to fight somebody that was in front of me in the rankings, and because I fought Jessica Eye last time and she was behind me in the rankings, I was like, ‘Whoever is in front of me right now, I will face it.’ It just happened to be Katlyn.”
Maia, No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s flyweight rankings, said No. 6 Chookagian “hasn’t changed that much” from when they fought 26 months ago. The Brazilian, however, thinks she’s evolved both physically and mentally since that defeat.
There have been some solid lessons for Maia in her fights since. She’s beaten Eye and Joanne Wood, but suffered a unanimous decision loss to Valentina Shevchenko in their title bout at UFC 255 in November 2020. Maia was one of the few to take “Bullet” to the scorecards, and she even managed to win a round along the way, which is more than most of Shevchenko’s (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) challengers can say.
That was a big confidence-booster for Maia, she said, and one that’s going to serve her well moving forward.
“Of course I was very sad when I lost the fight, but after watching the fight, I could see that I did a very good fight against one of the best female fighters ever.” Maia said. “So that’s what motivated me to start over and keep on track. I think fighting Valentina made me realize I am a more mature fighter now. I have a lot of things that I was not able to show yet, so I’m really, really looking at this in a different way.”
Figuring out how she would approach a rematch with Shevchenko is something Maia is not yet putting an abundance of focus on. She’s taking the process fight-by-fight, she said, and right now she has to worry scoring revenge on Chookagian before any conversation about another title shot becomes serious.
“I love what I do, and I love the process,” Maia said. “I love to cut weight and I love to train. I love the training camp. I love every step of the way so that’s what motivates me to be here and fight for my dream, and that’s to be the champion of the UFC.”
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Charles Rosa has signed a new UFC contract, and it starts on Saturday.
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] has signed a new UFC contract, and it starts on Saturday.
With [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag] out, Rosa (14-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) will step in on three days’ notice to face [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a lightweight bout at UFC on ESPN 32 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.
After fighting out his UFC contract, Rosa has inked a new four-fight deal. The 35-year-old Bostonian has alternated wins and losses since joining the UFC roster in October 2014, most recently losing a unanimous decision to Damon Jackson last October at UFC Fight Night 194.
Brown, a Dana White’s Contender Series alum, picked up his first octagon win in May when he edged out Kai Kamaka at UFC on ESPN 23 in May. A training partner of featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell, Brown has finished eight of his past nine wins.
With the change, the UFC on ESPN 32 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
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Andre Fialho has signed with the UFC and will get a big opportunity Saturday.
[autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag] has signed with the UFC and will get a big opportunity Saturday.
[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] has been forced out of UFC on ESPN 32, and Fialho (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (26-11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC). A person with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. UFC broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the news.
Fialho’s management announced his signing to the UFC on social media. Pereira later confirmed the fight on his Instagram.
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UFC on ESPN 32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Fialho, a PFL, Bellator and UAE Warriors veteran, has won his past four in a row. The 27-year-old Sanford MMA fighter is coming off a first-round TKO of ex-UFC fighter Stefan Sekulic at UAE Warriors 24 in October.
After back-to-back setbacks to Tristan Connelly and Diego Sanchez, entertaining Brazilian Pereira has scored three straight wins over Zelim Imadaev, Khaos Williams, and most recently Niko Price at UFC 264 in July.
With the change, the UFC on ESPN 32 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
The featherweight title picture was crystal clear until suddenly it wasn’t last week.
The featherweight title picture was crystal clear until suddenly it wasn’t last week.
When former champion Max Holloway had to pull out of his trilogy fight against current titleholder Alexander Volkanovski, it seemed like the entirety of the 145-pound division started throwing their proverbial hats in the ring. Even some non-featherweights wanted in on the action.
Holloway’s withdrawal put [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in an odd position. He’s set to headline UFC on ESPN 32 this week against Calvin Kattar (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC). But at the same time, if the UFC suddenly said it wanted him to take Holloway’s place at UFC 272, what was he going to do? Say no?
“The first thing, I was talking to myself: ‘Giga, chill. You have business to handle – a very tough fight,'” Chikadze told MMA Junkie on Monday of the moment he heard Holloway was out. “I feel like it’s the strongest opponent I’ve ever faced. I’m taking this very serious.
“But everybody’s dream is to fight for a title, right? I saw the news and I started to get more excited, but I was calming myself down: ‘You have things to do. Don’t get too excited. They might get someone else.’ I don’t have to be too frustrated with anything, and I don’t have to get too excited, either. … The chance, I know it will come. If it’s going to be sooner rather than later, I’ll take it.”
Chikadze has seven straight wins to open his UFC career, so clearly he’s in the title picture. That became especially true after his most recent three victories. After four decisions to start his UFC tenure, he’s got three straight knockouts – all of which picked up $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses.
He’s on UFC president Dana White’s radar, and he knows it. White told him as much at the UFC Performance Institute and told him to be patient when it comes to getting a title shot.
“I even had a quick chat with Dana since I was at the P.I.,” Chikadze said. “We had some interactions there. He said, ‘You’re right there. Handle your business and then we’ll talk after.’ (I have) even more motivation from that, I guess.”
So Chikadze said he remained tuned in on Kattar, who hasn’t fought in nearly a year. Kattar’s January 2021 outing was a rough one. Holloway put on the best striking performance in UFC history against the Bostonian en route to some of the most lopsided scores in UFC history: a pair of 50-43s and a 50-42 – which means Holloway had four 10-8 rounds from one of the judges.
But when it comes to proving he needs to be in that title picture – and perhaps be next if the UFC doesn’t decide on a new opponent for Volkanovski before his fight against Kattar – Chikadze said the right people better be paying attention.
“I just want to warn everybody that I have a fight this weekend. I’ll be knocking out people that no one would believe I was going to knock them out – in a minute, in a striking way, in this, in that. I just want them to open their eyes and watch this weekend very well, and after this make a decision. I’m just concentrating to perform the best I’ve ever been.”
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The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 32, which features a Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze main event.
The UFC’s 2022 schedule gets off to a start Saturday with UFC on ESPN 32, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
A critical matchup between featherweight contenders takes place in the main event. [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) attempts to rebound from his memorable loss to Max Holloway a year ago when he takes on the surging [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who has yet to be beat inside the octagon.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 22 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 32.
