Giga Chikadze dominates, finished Edson Barboza for historic win for Georgia.
It was a leg kick war to start the first round with each fighter trading shots to the legs and body. But it was Chikadze who was showing off his striking with jumping knees and spinning kicks. With just a minute remaining in the first Chikadze landed a flurry of punches that stunned Barboza and they went to the second round.
Edson took control in round two, taking ownership of the cage he hadn’t done in the first. But with a minute left it was all Chikadze in terms of landing strikes. This is now Chikadze’s fight to lose.
Chikadze stunned Barboza in the beginning of round three and was smelling blood. They began trading wild before Barboza went to the ground and Chikadze landed ground and pound untul he got Barboza into a choke. Barboza got to his feet and Chikadze stunned him with another strike and the fight was called off, Barboza protested the stoppage, but it seemed fair.
Chikadze was the first Georgian fighter to appear in a UFC main event and now becomes the first to win one as well.