Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
UFC 331 · September 19, 2026 · Crypto.com Arena · Early Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Veteran striker vs. surging finisher
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Featherweight · Early Prelims
The read
Brito's activity and finishing instincts make him the pick after Chikadze's rough stretch, but a single clean strike from a striker of Chikadze's caliber can change any fight.
If Brito can mix in his grappling and avoid a pure firefight, his momentum should carry him; if this stays standing and Chikadze finds his range early, he has the power to snap his skid in dramatic fashion.
The matchup
Both featherweights bring real finishing pedigree to a bout with implications for where they land in the division picture.
Chikadze's kickboxing-honed striking has produced nine career knockouts, but he arrives on a three-fight skid, while Brito's well-rounded finishing rate and current two-fight win streak make him the man with momentum.
Tale of the tape
| 15-6 | Record | 19-5-1 |
| 38 | Age | 31 |
| 6'0" | Height | 5'8" |
| 74" | Reach | 72" |
| — | Stance | — |
| Georgia | Country | Brazil |
| Kings MMA | Team | Chute Boxe João Emilio |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Giga Chikadze 15-6
“Ninja”
Giga 'Ninja' Chikadze is a 38-year-old Georgian featherweight training at Kings MMA who built his striking around a decorated kickboxing background before transitioning to MMA. He has dropped three straight fights, two by decision and one by a highlight-reel spinning-backfist knockout loss to Kevin Vallejos in December 2025, and now looks to snap the skid against fellow finisher Joanderson Brito in Los Angeles.
- LKevin Vallejos · KO/TKO (spinning backfist)UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape · December 13, 2025
- LDavid Onama · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Machado Garry vs. Prates · April 26, 2025
- LArnold Allen · Decision (unanimous)UFC 304 · July 27, 2024
Joanderson Brito 19-5-1
“Tubarão”
Joanderson 'Tubarão' Brito is a 31-year-old Brazilian featherweight fighting out of Chute Boxe João Emilio, with 16 of his 19 career wins coming by finish, split evenly between knockouts and submissions. He has won back-to-back fights, a grinding decision over short-notice replacement Isaac Thomson and a first-round submission of Jordan Leavitt in June 2026, and now faces a veteran former title eliminator in Giga Chikadze.
- WJordan Leavitt · Submission (front choke)UFC Fight Night · June 6, 2026
- WIsaac Thomson · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape · December 13, 2025