UFC’s first fight of the year appears simple at first but has depth. Calvin Kattar faces Giga Chikadze in UFC Vegas 46 on January 15, 2022, at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, United States. Taking up one hell of a beating from Max Holloway a year ago, Calvin Kattar took his sweet time to recover. Giga Chikadze is coming off a technical knockout against Edson Barboza back in August 2021.
Four planned bouts for this fight night were postponed due to various reasons. Muslim Salikhov withdrew from the welterweight bout against Michel Pereira Lima due to undisclosed reasons and now, Andre Fialho will fight Pereira. The elusive Katlyn Chookagian will be handled by Jennifer Maia, Maia won’t leave any room for second thoughts for the judges in this match.
How to watch UFC Vegas 46?
ESPN network will broadcast the event in the USA through its channels and ESPN+ online platform.
In the UK, BT sport is the official broadcaster of UFC.
BELL holds the right to broadcast the fights in Canada this year.
UFC official website and application offers the UFC fight pass for the fans and viewers worldwide to live stream the event based on subscription.
Also, bet365.com offers a live streaming option for active bettors on fight days.
When and where is UFC Vegas 46?
Main event: Calvin Kattar vs Giga Chikadze
Date: January 15, 2021
Venue: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, United States
Fight card
Main card
Calvin Kattar vs Giga Chikadze
Andre Fialho vs Michel Pereira Lima
Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia
Brandon Royval vs Rogerio Bontorin
Jake Collier vs Chase Sherman
Bill Algeo vs Joanderson Brito
Prelims
Court Mcgee vs Ramiz Brahimaj
Gabriel Benitez vs Tj Brown
Dakota Bush vs Viacheslav Borshchev
Brian Kelleher vs Saidyokub Kakhramonov
Silvana Juarez vs Vanessa Demopoulos
Predictions
Calvin Kattar vs Giga Chikadze
The walk and stare of Giga Chikadze after he punctured Simmons with a kick to the ribs, to follow it with a head-kick, defines him. The Georgian Ninja is not all smoke and mirrors. Holding black belts in two forms of Karate, Chikadze also has a kickboxing background with a record of 38-8-0. Chikadze moves fast, he outdid Barboza in the previous bout. Nine of his 14 wins have come through knockouts.
Standing at 5′ 11″, Calvin Kattar returns after a one-year hiatus. The American is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist. During his teens, he had the opportunity to train with Nate Diaz. That had an effect on him which showed in the Max Holloway fight. Holloway beat Kattar black and blue throughout the 25 minutes in the Octagon. By the end of the 5th round, Calvin Kattar was bleeding profusely in the face and had his nose broken. Not throwing in the towel was a bad decision from Kattar’s team, but it showcased how much heart this guy has.
Bringing in the wrestling game will help Kattar in this bout. Calvin Kattar will work well in close range than Chikadze. Another region of interest for Kattar is the gas tank of Chikadze. The Georgian haven’t fought beyond three rounds like, ever. Kattar, on the other hand, has persisted till the 5th round in most of his matches. However, if Chikadze caught Kattar with fist power, the bout might end early. Anything might happen but the line is too wide. Kattar can’t be written off this fight. If Chikadze wins, he will be in line for the top contenders for the title. Kattar might cause an upset if the fight goes beyond the third round.
