With the holiday season here, the UFC has put its schedule on pause for the next few weeks. Keeping that in mind, it’s never too early to look forward to the next event on the schedule: UFC Vegas 46.
UFC Vegas 46 — also known as UFC Fight Night 200 — will take place on Saturday, January 15 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the full card still needs to be announced, the event will be headlined by a featherweight clash between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze.
The fight could go either way, however, Bovada has released odds heading into the main event matchup. So, which fighter is favored to win next month?
Read on and find out.
UFC Vegas 46 Odds: Calvin Kattar vs Giga Chikadze
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, December 22
- Record: Calvin Kattar (22-5-0) vs. Giga Chikadze (14-2-0)
- Moneyline: Kattar (+172) vs. Chikadze (-213)
- Total Rounds: N/A
- Method of Victory: N/A
Check Bovada.lv closer to the event for more odds and prop bets.
Kattar Enters Vegas as the Underdog
At +172 odds, Kattar will enter UFC Vegas 46 as the underdog against Chikadze. It will also be his second time in a row main eventing the first UFC event of the year.
The 33-year-old Massachusetts native hasn’t fought since January 2021, losing by unanimous devious to Max Holloway at UFC Fight Island 7. Prior to that, Kattar was looking pretty good, having won four of his previous five fights. That included a pair of promising victories over Jeremy Stephens and Dan Ige, so he’ll look to get back on track to start 2022.
Kattar has made a career of being one of the better strikers in UFC, proven by his four KO/TKO victories in his nine fights since joining the company back in 2017. On top of that, he averages 5.07 significant strikes per minute on 42% accuracy. With that being said, his style also leaves him open to being struck, with him absorbing 8.16 significant strikes.
Kattar is also the No. 5-ranked featherweight, so a victory over the surging Chikadze would do wonders in pushing him towards his first championship opportunity. Only time will tell if he can overcome the odds and shock bettors in January.
UFC Vegas 46 Odds: Chikadze Favored to Continue Hot Streak
On the other hand, Chikadze will walk into UFC Vegas 46 next month as the -213 favorite, according to Bovada. Known as “Ninja,” he’s been on an incredible hot streak as of late, winning his last nine fights in a row and 14 of his last 15 overall. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he’s also won his last three fights by TKO, with the last victory coming over Edson Barboza back in August.
One thing that gives Chikadze an immediate advantage at UFC Vegas 46 is that he has the better striking defense. He only absorbs 2.69 significant strikes per minute with a 61% defense rating. That’s a pretty big difference compared to Kattar.
Another advantage that he has is that Chikadze has ended his fights fairly quickly as of late. None of his last three fights has gone the distance, with two of them ending via first-round TKO. Meanwhile, three of Kattar’s last four fights have ended by decision. If that’s his strategy going up against Chikadze, he could be in some trouble.
It’s also hard to go against Chikadze considering that he’s undefeated in the UFC. He’s had “Performance of the Night” honors in his last three bouts and has shown no signs of slowing down. He may be the No. 8-ranked featherweight, however, that could easily change with another impressive showing in the UFC Vegas 46 main event.
