Josh Emmett vs. Giga Chikadze Announced for UFC 296

Josh Emmett will face Giga Chikadze in a featherweight contest at UFC 296.

The promotion confirmed the pairing in a release on Wednesday. UFC 296 takes place on Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welteweight championship clash between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.

Emmett began his 2023 campaign with a second-round submission loss to Yair Rodriguez in an interim title bout. He returned to action in the UFC on ABC 5 headliner on June 24, when he dropped a five-round verdict to surging contender Ilia Topuria. The Team Alpha Male product had won five straight bouts prior to his current skid.

Chikadze, meanwhile, has been victorious in eight of his nine promotional outings. After more than a year and a half away, “Ninja” enjoyed a successful return at UFC Fight Night 225, where he outpointed Alex Caceres on Aug. 26.