Joanderson Brito Starches Giga Chikadze After Slippery Canvas Mishap at UFC 331
Brito's coach called the slip before the fight even started, and Brito made Chikadze pay for it in 117 seconds.
Joanderson Brito scored the biggest win of his career at UFC 331 on Saturday night, stopping Giga Chikadze by first-round TKO at 1:57 inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The featherweight bout ended after Chikadze slipped while throwing a kick, and Brito pounced with ground-and-pound until referee stoppage.
The wildest part? Brito's coach called it before the fight started. During warm-ups, the team noticed the Octagon canvas was brand new, potentially slippery, and that Chikadze had dropped water on his own feet. Given Chikadze's reliance on kicking, the coach turned to Brito and predicted a slip.
"We expected him to start kicking," Brito said after the fight, per Sherdog. "When we walked in, we knew the tarp was brand new; it could be a little slippery. Then we saw him drop some water on his feet. Then my coach said, 'Watch, cause he is gonna slip.'"
Chikadze, who entered as a sizable betting favorite, opened the fight landing body and head kicks before the fateful misstep. Once he hit the mat, Brito wasted no time advancing to top position and unloading strikes until the referee had seen enough.
The win extends Brito's streak to three in a row and improves his UFC record to 8-3 with an overall mark of 20-5. Chikadze drops to 15-7. Rather than calling for an immediate title shot, Brito said he wants to build his career the way Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje did, maintaining top-five status through consistent work.
Brito's coach watched Chikadze drop water on his own feet, looked at a brand new canvas, and said watch, he is going to slip. Then Chikadze slipped throwing a kick and Brito finished him. I have never seen a corner call a fight that precisely. That is not luck, that is paying attention.
Chikadze backers are going to call it a fluke, and I understand. He was landing body kicks and head kicks and looked like the favorite he was priced as. But a kicker who knows the surface is slick and keeps throwing kicks is taking a risk, and Brito made him pay for it instantly. Pouncing on a slip with that kind of speed is a skill.
What I like most is what Brito said afterward. No title shot demands. He wants to build like Poirier and Gaethje did, stacking wins and staying top five. Three straight and 8-3 in the UFC is a real run. Give him a top-ten name and let's see if the patience holds.
