UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze has received a glowing endorsement from his teammate Beneil Dariush ahead of his return this weekend.
Chikaze will head to enemy territory for his first assignment of 2024, clashing with England's own Arnold Allen in the opening fight on the UFC 304 pay-per-view main card at Manchester's Co-op Live arena on Saturday.
The Georgian previously had his fast charge toward a title shot violently stalled by Calvin Kattar at the start of 2022, with the brutal nature of that setback keeping him out for 19 months.
But having returned successfully in Singapore last August and defended his spot in the top 10 at 145 pounds against Alex Caceres, "Ninja" has his sights back on those above him in the pecking order in pursuit of a title clash with Ilia Topuria.
And when it comes to the July 27 matchup and any other bout for him in the division, Dariush sees Chikadze at his best as a step above the competition...
Dariush Speaks Highly Of Fellow Kings MMA Standout Chikadze, Including His Grappling
During episode two of the UFC 304 Embedded: Vlog Series, Chikadze can be seen putting in the work alongside lightweight contender Beneil Dariush over at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, California.
Speaking to the camera, Dariush praised not just Chikadze's well-known striking, but also his ever-improving grappling game. And with those developments in mind, the veteran 155lber sees the Georgian as featherweight's top fighter when he's firing on all cylinders.
It's obvious to see how great his striking is, right? But I think the place he's improved the most is his grappling. I think there's been a shift in Giga's mindset," Dariush said. "His game is just, it's changed so much since his days in kickboxing. When Giga's on, he's the best in the world. We're gonna show up (at UFC 304) and we're make sure he's on.
With that in mind, perhaps Allen — who is coming off a wrestling-heavy defeat to Movsar Evloev — isn't in for the preferred striking battle he's after and has preached about in the lead-up to UFC 304.
"Almighty" got exactly that the last time he competed on home soil, with lightweight contender Dan Hooker falling to a flurry of strikes early into their clash at a London-held UFC Fight Night in 2022.
Having slipped from title contention with consecutive losses, Allen will no doubt be hoping to deliver a similar statement display on home soil this weekend.