Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze added to UFC 304 in Manchester

A high-octane UFC featherweight clash between contenders Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze has been added to UFC 304 on July 27th.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news of the Allen vs. Chikadze booking this week after an initial report by journalist Léo Guimaraes.

Allen vs. Chikadze adds to what’s expected to be a stacked card at UFC 304 to make the promotion’s UK return in Manchester. UFC titleholders Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards are both expected to be on the card for title defenses.

Allen returns after a loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 297 earlier this year. He’s lost back-to-back fights after being previously unbeaten through his first 10 UFC fights.

Allen is looking to recapture his earlier magic against Chikadze. The UK standout has earned recent victories over Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker, and Sodiq Yusuff.

Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze vy for featherweight title contention

Chikadze will make his second UFC comeback after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Kattar in Jan. 2022. He was scheduled to face Josh Emmett at UFC 296 before withdrawing due to an undisclosed injury.

Chikadze got back in the win column following the Kattar loss with a unanimous decision victory against Alex Caceres in August. He’s earned four post-fight bonuses during his UFC tenure.

Allen and Chikadze are both looking to keep pace in the crowded featherweight title picture. UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is expected to face either Max Holloway or Brian Ortega for his first title defense later in 2024.

After suffering a loss to Holloway last year, Allen is looking to potentially earn himself a rematch against the former featherweight titleholder. Holloway won the BMF title by knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 last month.

Chikadze is one of the most talented strikers in the division and will look to put on a show against Allen. The full UFC 304 card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.