While losing your first UFC fight is a hard enough pill to swallow, the worst of it was still to come for Chikadze once he got evaluated by medical professionals after the fight. Due to the damage he sustained throughout the 25 minutes, Chikadze said the Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a one-year medical suspension.
This came as a shock to the 2022 Forrest Griffin Community Award winner, who returned to training shortly after the fight.
“At the beginning [of my layoff], doctors did not allow me to fight, they gave me one year of sitting out,” Chikadze said. “I’ve been ready to fight for a long time. Since May of last year, I’ve been training, asking to fight. Finally, we’re here and I’m glad that we’re finally making the comeback.”
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The one positive that came out of Chikadze’s layoff was the amount of time he could strictly focus on improving his skill set, rather than preparing for a specific style of opponent. Chikadze said he evolved in every technical aspect of fighting – striking, grappling and wrestling – and he became a much smarter fighter in the process, developing patience and a better understanding of how to control the fight.
