Surging UFC newcomer gets ranked opponent for banger fight at final UFC event of 2025

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 10:38 AM ET

(Zuffa LLC)

Kevin Vallejos will look to cap off an incredible first year in the UFC when he takes on top-ranked contender Giga Chikadze at the promotion’s final card of the year.

The UFC is currently on the tail of a nine-week stretch of consecutive events that began with UFC Perth in September and will close out with the promotion’s first visit to Qatar on November 22. After that, only two events will remain on the UFC calendar before 2025 ends and a new deal with Paramount replaces the promotion's current one with ESPN.

UFC 323 will take place at T-Mobile Arena on December 6 before the year closes out at the UFC APEX with UFC Vegas 112, and Chikadze recently confirmed that he’ll look to snap a two-fight skid when he meets Vallejos at that event (h/t Marcel Dorff).

Giga Chikadze Has Lost Back-To-Back Fights

A former kickboxer, Chikadze missed out on a chance to earn a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 but rebounded with back-to-back finishes and earned a call to the promotion the following year.

Beginning with a split decision over Brandon Davis in his UFC debut, Chikadze won his first seven UFC outings and capped off that run with three-straight finishes. After stopping Edson Barboza in his first UFC headliner, the 37-year-old came up short against Calvin Kattar in his next main event opportunity.

William Purnell-Imagn Images

“Ninja” rebounded with a win over Alex Caceres in 2023, but he currently finds himself on the first two-fight skid of his MMA career after dropping consecutive decisions to Arnold Allen and David Onama, who headlined last weekend’s UFC Fight Night card against Steve Garcia.

Kevin Vallejos Could Break Into UFC Rankings

While Chikadze will attempt to get back on track when he enters the cage at UFC Vegas 112, Vallejos will be looking to extend a five-fight win streak that includes a 2-0 record in the UFC this year.

A former Samurai Fight House featherweight champion in his native Argentina, Vallejos came up short in his first DWCS opportunity in 2023 when he met current top-ranked UFC contender Jean Silva. After returning to SFH to defend his belt two more times, “El Chino” stopped the formerly-undefeated Cam Teague on DWCS last year to win a UFC contract.

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The 23-year-old debuted with a first-round finish of Seung Woo Choi in March before he also bested Danny Silva. Vallejos will now try and break into the featherweight Top 15 when he meets the #15-ranked Chikadze at UFC Vegas 112, which is headlined by a likely flyweight title eliminator fight between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape.

UFC Vegas 112 Fight Card

• Main Event: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape

• Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Roberston

• Tereza Bleda vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth

• Cesar Almeida vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk

• Allen Frye vs. Guilherme Pat

• Sean Sharaf vs. Steven Asplund

• Joanderson Brito vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan

• Luana Santos vs. Melissa Croden

• Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos