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4 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 32: Calvin Kattar takes the Giga train off its tracks

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 32 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

1. Calvin Kattar's amazing bounce back

There was much concern around [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] entering his main event with Giga Chikadze.

No one knew exactly how Kattar (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) would respond to his historically lopsided beatdown against Max Holloway one year ago, especially against an opponent in Chikadze who was red-hot in the featherweight division.

Anyone skeptical about Kattar’s ability to come back and win this fight were warranted in their position, but boy, did Kattar ever prove those people wrong.

It’s hard to ask for much more than what Kattar brought to the table. He had insane pressure for all five rounds and inflicted a hellacious beatdown on Chikadze to secure the unanimous decision win, flipping the script from his previous bout against Holloway and taking his turn to dish out all the punishment.

The performance thrusted Kattar right back in the 145-pound title conversation, and he and his team at the New England Cartel deserve much applause for taking the correct steps to ensure he could get back to this position.

Whatever pent up aggression Kattar had built up being on the sidelines for the past 12 months came out on Chikadze’s face. The win set Kattar up for another big fight, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can carry this type of effort over into the next one.

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2. Giga Chikadze's violent stumble

We should’ve seen this coming for [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]. He tempted the MMA God’s over and over leading up to fight night, and ultimately succumbed to a situation that’s derailed many others before him.

Every time Chikadze (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) spoke about Kattar prior to sharing the octagon, he paid his respect and said he knew how tough this fight would be. Unfortunately, the majority of the quotes coming out of his mouth were not about Kattar at all.

Instead, Chikadze spoke frequently about his desire to get the featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski after Max Holloway fell out. Then, when Chan Sung Jung was selected to step in at UFC 273, he vented about why the promotion should’ve waited for his fight with Kattar to play out before booking the next title bout

Chikadze deserves praise for his willingness to talk openly about his wants. He single-handedly made this fight week interesting, and added stakes to the fight with Kattar. He couldn’t deliver on the back end of it, though, and because of that he’s going to get the scorn of fans and critics.

It’s not like he lost be a narrow margin, either. Chikadze was thoroughly dominated and his face was massacred with cuts. He’ll be wearing the damage from this one for a while, and it’s the type of loss that will force him to reevaluate things.

Chikadze is still a force and showed the world his offensive firepower is backed by insane toughness and durability. However, Kattar showed him his current ceiling, and it’s on Chikadze to figure out how to bounce back stronger.

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3. Katlyn Chookagian's record and UFC future

[autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] looked as good as ever in her unanimous decision victory over fellow former women’s flyweight title challenger Jennifer Maia. However, the aftermath of the fight has overshadowed the performance.

In beating Maia on the scorecards in their rematch from UFC 244 in November 2019 – which Chookagian also won by going the distance – “Blonde Fighter” became the first in history to reach 10 UFC victories without securing a finish. This record was bound to come to fruition eventually. A handful of fighters reached the nine-fight mark without getting a stoppage in the octagon, but Chookagian surpassed them.

What does it mean in the big picture? Maybe not much. Or maybe it means everything. Chookagian revealed post-fight that the rematch with Maia was the last on her current UFC contact, and she’s now a free agent. She said the UFC did not want to negotiate a new deal prior to fight night, and she’s not certain a fresh offer is coming.

On one hand that’s extremely concerning, because it’s pretty clear Chookagian is the No. 2 fighter at 125 pounds outside of champion Valentina Shevchenko. She belongs with the best fighters on the biggest stage in the top organization, and should be compensated for her talent level.

The unfortunate part for Chookagian, is she already fought Shevchenko and was dominated en route to a TKO loss. There’s little public appetite for a rematch, and all Chookagian is doing in the meantime is eliminating other names from contention who could potentially be groomed for Shevchenko.

It must be noted, as well, that Chookagian is represented by CAA. That’s the same management group that backs UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, and we all know the relationship is fractured there heading into Saturday’s UFC 270 title unifier with Ciryl Gane.

It’s not unreasonable to think Chookagian is being used as a pawn in the UFC vs. CAA beef, and that’s why a renewal offer never came her way pre-fight. There’s a theory Kevin Lee’s UFC departure falls under the same guise, but it can’t be said for certain.

Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be a great look for the UFC to let Chookagian walk. She has her faults like everyone else, but she shouldn’t be punished for being extremely good, but just a rung below the champion.

4. Court McGee finds his form

[autotag]Court McGee[/autotag] is on a winning streak for the first time since 2013 after grinding out Ramiz Brahimaj to a unanimous decision.

McGee (21-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC), the Season 11 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” is one of the few remaining on the UFC roster who made his promotional debut in 2010 or earlier. He’s had plenty of ups and downs during that journey, but somehow finds himself in arguably his best form, beating the next generation of talent.

It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing approaching, but McGee’s gritty style remains effective. Would it work against the top 15 of a loaded welterweight division? Probably not. But anyone outside that range who draws McGee’s name from the matchmakers is going to their work cut out in order to earn a full paycheck that night.

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