If Giga Chikadze had his way, he’d be fighting Yair Rodriguez in the main event at the upcoming UFC Fight Night card on July 17.
While he was offered and accepted the opportunity following an injury to former featherweight champion Max Holloway, it appears Rodriguez wasn’t interested after a new headliner was selected for that card with Islam Makhachev now expected to clash with Thiago Moises in a five-round fight that night.
Chikadze was obviously holding out hope that he’d get the chance to face Rodriguez to build on his 6-0 run in the UFC.