Edson Barboza vs Giga Chikadze Prediction
August 26, 2021
Edson Barboza -115 vs Giga Chikadze
Fight is five rounds at 145 lbs and is -135 to end inside the distance.
✅ This banger of a main event features two high quality strikers that will be happy to stand and bang for the full 25 minutes, if that much is needed. I believe Edson Barboza to be the more dangerous striker of the two, as I think he has an advantage in the boxing range and with his hands. He, like his opponent, features the kicking game as their most dangerous weapon. Where Barboza’s kicks are other worldly, is in the power that comes with them. There is simply not a featherweight on the planet that can match the effect the kicks from Barboza has. Barboza has also fought a wildly higher level of competition. Barboza’s last nine fights have come against:
- Shane Burgos
- Makwan Amirkhani
- Dan Ige
- Paul Felder
- Justin Gaethje
- Dan Hooker
- Kevin Lee
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Beneil Dariush
This is just an insanely high level list of opponents, and the only fighters that convincingly beat Barboza were Khabib and Gaethje, both at lightweight, not featherweight.
✅ Moving on to Giga Chikadze, this is simply a massive step up in competition. He got a step up in his last fight in which he knocked out Cub Swanson, and is now moving multiple rungs up the ladder once again. I think Giga might be in for a rude awakening and the cliché about the “levels to MMA” will come into play. Don’t get me wrong, Chikadze is a high quality striker, but I believe the power difference and an opponent that can bring an even more dangerous kicking game will be his undoing. Barboza will be happy to stay at kicking range with anyone, and that is likely what Chikadze will want as well. The problem for Chikadze is he will be unable to match the power. There will also be times when Barboza gets in the pocket and he will win those exchanges.
✅ While I don’t believe this fight will be a runaway, I do believe the line is far too short. Barboza is well accustomed to facing high quality strikers, while this will be a brand new test for Chikadze. A KO for Barboza is very very much in play, but a decision win is at least equally likely. With that being the case, we will settle for the -115 flat line for Barboza.
