Giga Chikadze fights this Saturday in the UFC's first event of 2022
Giga Chikadze has hit out at UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski labelling him a 'chump.'
Volkanovski is set to face Chan Sung Jung, best known as 'The Korean Zombie', in April after Max Holloway pulled out of their fight with an injury. This news did not sit well with Chikadze after he offered to be Holloway's replacement.
"I'm upset. I'm here and I feel like I'm a champion-level fighter. I can beat the champion and I can beat 'The Zombie'," Chikadze told BBC Sport.
The 33-year-old added: "I'm the worst match-up for this chump. He knows it and I know it. We know why he's chosen 'The Korean Zombie' because he's trying to get an easy win right now.
"Everybody has been avoiding me for a long time.
"From the time I was in top 15 and even before I was in the top 15, there were so many well-known guys and they said, 'Oh, we'll fight Giga' but at the end of the day, when the UFC have sent them a contract, they all say no.
"I'm just going to take my time, do my thing and be a ninja in the octagon."
Chikadze, who is on a seven-fight win streak in the UFC, will have to park his frustrations as he headlines the UFC's first fight night of the year this Saturday against fellow top contender Calvin Kattar.
"He's [Kattar] a tough guy with heavy hands and has a wrestling background. He's got good cardio but this is not a good fight for him," Chikadze said.
"I'm excited to fight against a top-five opponent, which I've been asking for a long time and I can't wait."
If Chikadze wins this Saturday, he will certainly stake a claim to fight the winner between Volkanovski and 'The Korean Zombie.'
"If this was soccer, this is like a semi-final for me but honestly I can fight every week," he said.
"This is what I know, this is what I enjoy doing. If they line them up, I'll fight every weekend.
"I've been sending these messages to Sean Shelby [Senior Vice President of Talent Relations in the UFC] and Dana White [UFC President], but now is the time to fight for the title after this fight."
