This is a new series in which we look at the best up-and-coming prospects who feature under a promotion that is aired on UFC Fight Pass as they look to earn an opportunity to compete in the ultimate fighting championship.
This week, we look at unbeaten featherweight Giorgi Poladishivlii, who picked up his third professional win under the Austrian promotional banner Cage Fight Series, which was holding its sixteenth show in Graz on Friday evening(22nd November). The Georgian was coming into the cage on the back of an eleven-month layoff but was matched with his toughest test to date in the form of gritty Brazilian Alan Santos, who came in with a record of 4-2.
Poladishvili has now won all three of his pro mixed martial arts contests by submission, with the first two coming by way of rear naked choke. However, he produced the best of the bunch on his promotional debut with a superb reverse triangle choke in the third round. This was a dominant performance in a fight in which he was able to use a wide range of his arsenal.
However, don’t let the premature record dominated by submission wins fool you into thinking that he’s all ground game. He is a national kickboxing champion in Georgia and has several bare-knuckle boxing scraps on his Tapology record, winning all but one, which was his debut, which ended in a draw.
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At just twenty-three years of age, he has plenty of time on his side as he aims to manoeuvre his way into the UFC, whether that be directly from Cage Fight Series or another European promotion along the way. If the former undefeated bare-knuckle boxer keeps turning out finishes like he has been and can string some momentum together now, he’s returned to action, then it will only bring him bigger and better opportunities to progress his career.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the current crop that are flying the Georgian flag in the UFC; , Giga Chikadze, Roman Dolidze, Guram Kutateladze, Liana Jojua and the current undisputed bantamweight and featherweight champions Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria respectively. The latter is in the running for Fighter of the Year with two spectacular wins over long-reigning champion Alex Volkanovski and BMF belt holder Max Holloway.
Poladishvili is currently training under Rati Chakvetadze, who also trains former Oktagon MMA featherweight champion Mate Sanikidze. The Georgians have carved themselves a good reputation within mixed martial arts, and they certainly come to fight. Each one of them who ply their trade in the world’s premier promotion, the UFC, has proved why they belong there.
Can Giorgi Poladishvili be another one of those in the coming years? Only time will tell, but he’s certainly in the right place at the right time in his career with Cage Fight Series. Follow his journey and stay updated with future fight news via his Instagram page.