UFC 296 on Dec. 16 will feature Giga Chikadze vs. Josh Emmett and Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa, along with other matchups, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The year-end pay-per-view event, UFC 296, is shaping up to be an exciting night of fights with the addition of two new matchups. Giga Chikadze will take on Josh Emmett, while Irene Aldana is set to face Karol Rosa at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The announcement was made by UFC officials on Wednesday.
Chikadze, who recently returned to action after a 19-month break, showcased his skills with a unanimous decision victory over Alex Caceres in August. This win helped him regain momentum following his first UFC career loss to Calvin Kattar earlier this year. With an impressive 8-1 record in the UFC, Chikadze has defeated notable competitors such as Edson Barboza and Cub Swanson.
On the other hand, Emmett will be looking to bounce back after suffering consecutive losses to Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria. Prior to these defeats, Emmett was on a five-fight win streak, earning him a shot at the interim UFC featherweight title. Chikadze’s striking prowess poses a serious challenge for Emmett, who hopes to get back on track in this matchup.
Meanwhile, Aldana returns to the octagon after a loss to former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. Despite the setback, Aldana aims to regain her footing in the division, which currently lacks a titleholder following Nunes’ retirement. She will face Rosa, who holds a 6-2 record in the UFC, with her only losses coming at the hands of Norma Dumont and Sara McMann.
As UFC 296’s fight card continues to take shape, fans can anticipate an action-packed evening featuring a highly anticipated main event between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. The co-main event features Alexander Pantoja against Brandon Royval, while other intriguing matchups include Tony Ferguson versus Paddy Pimblett and Vicente Luque taking on Ian Machado Garry.
Additional bouts scheduled for the event include Alonzo Menifield versus Dustin Jacoby, Cody Garbrandt against Brian Kelleher, Martin Buday versus Shamil Gaziev, Randy Brown versus Muslim Salikhov, Tagir Ulanbekov against Cody Durden, and Casey O’Neill versus Ariane Lipski.
UFC fans have plenty to look forward to at UFC 296, where these highly skilled fighters will converge on Dec. 16 for an explosive night in Las Vegas.