UFC Vegas 46: Bill Algeo Willing to Do “Whatever It Takes” to Land Chikadze Fight

Las Vegas, NV — Bill Algeo wasn’t sure he was going to get to fight at UFC Vegas 46, after opponent Joanderson Brito had a COVID-19 test returned as inconclusive — a fact he found out via social media.

When he did get to fight, however, the bout went exactly as planned. “It’s exactly how I saw it going. I knew he’d be dangerous in the beginning, I knew he was going to try to wrestle, I knew he’d throw big hooks just to try to get to my legs,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press following the bout. “That’s what we prepared for, that’s what I was ready for, and I executed.”

Algeo (15-6) turned heads with his callout of Giga Chikadze following the unanimous decision victory. In part, because Chikadze headlined Saturday’s card, the first UFC outing of 2022. And in part because Algeo very much embraced the bad guy role.

“Listen I know this is Giga’s card until Kattar knocks him out. I know he’s going to have a lot of fans here. It’s always fun to play the heel,” Algeo said when asked about the callout, which including suggesting that Giga fans go home. “And I want that fight, so whatever it takes to get it.”

“I’m just not a fan of Georgians,” Algeo added jokingly. “I’m just kidding. No, I just don’t like that dude.”

Bill Algeo does have history with the Georgian. “It’s nothing against the country of Georgia, I just don’t like him personally. I met him, I had an experience with him. I’ve been calling him out this week, we saw him at weigh-ins, and he’s just like eyeing me up, all crazy, mad-dogging me. I gave him a wink and a smile. I know he knows who I am, he’s going to keep playing it up like he doesn’t, but now he can’t avoid me. So I think I’ll get what I want.”

Algeo’s experience with Chikadze is something he’s opened up about before. He expanded on that Saturday, saying that he was on vacation a few years back, in a friendly sparring match at King’s MMA, when Chikadze decided to try to take his head off. “Who’s this Giga guy who’s going hard as balls in like a friendly sparring match, trying to take my head off in little gloves?” Algeo wondered at the time. “Same thing I did tonight [against Brito], I made him miss, I frustrated him, and I beat him up while on vacation, probably hung over. I think I can absolutely do it on whatever week fight camp.”

Whether the fight happens remains to be seen. Giga Chikadze is ranked. Algeo himself is not, and he’s aware that may mean the fight comes further down the road. If that’s the case, Algeo isn’t too concerned about a particular name, though he did tell Cageside press that “I was supposed to fight [Makwan] Amirkhani last year, but I had an injury, so that didn’t happen. But I’m down for that fight too.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 46 post-fight press scrum with Bill Algeo above. More coverage can be found below.