Things got heated real fast backstage at UFC 331. Despite no notable history or bad blood between Giga Chikadze and Joanderson Brito, the two nearly came to blows after successfully making weight at the UFC 331 weigh-ins. Such was the intensity of the face-off between the two featherweights that both camps had to scramble to keep things from exploding.

In the video that went viral on social media, ‘Tubarão’ appeared to move toward Chikadze as the fighters squared up with their teams surrounding them. The Brazilian put down his belongings on the ground as the situation quickly got more intense, prompting both camps to jump in before things could turn physical.

The fighters were eventually pulled apart and sent their separate ways, but the brief showdown added even more fuel to a matchup that already comes with plenty of stakes.

Giga Chikadze comes into UFC 331 with his back against the wall. The 38-year-old has lost three straight, dropping a unanimous decision to David Onama in April 2025 before Kevin Vallejos stopped him with a spinning back fist in the second round later that year. Once feared for his kickboxing, ‘Ninja’ now desperately needs to snap the skid before things get even tougher.

Joanderson Brito, on the other hand, has been heading in the opposite direction. The 31-year-old has won his last two, first beating Isaac Thomson by decision after suffering a loss to Pat Sabatini, then submitting Jordan Leavitt with a first-round ninja choke in June.

Brito now faces a desperate veteran looking to salvage his career, and after what just happened backstage, the stakes feel real personal.

The Brazilian’s recent finishing form already gives him plenty to work with here. He’s got eight knockouts on his record and can cause problems on the feet or on the mat, while Giga Chikadze’s durability has become a bigger question during this losing streak.

‘Tubarão’ is also seven years younger and riding a two-fight win streak, so he comes in with plenty of confidence. The Georgian, meanwhile, has far more pressure on him to get his hand raised and finally stop the bleeding.

So, as expected, after seeing the altercation, a lot of the fan support is still leaning Brito’s way. Especially since fans are questioning whether Giga Chikadze can turn things around after his recent struggles, and whether he even should’ve almost gotten himself into a brawl considering how he already is a massive underdog heading into this fight.

Fans Predict Trouble for Giga Chikadze at UFC 331

After seeing a brawl almost occur right ahead of UFC 331, one commenter mocked Giga Chikadze’s situation, writing, “Giga trying his best to stay relevant,” while another suggested the Georgian could be heading toward the end of his UFC run, saying, “Giga should actually be released from the UFC.”

A third fan was more focused on what almost happened backstage, joking, “Giga almost got knocked out from that.”

The criticism continued to pile up. One fan wrote, “The Giga downfall needs to be studied,” while another bluntly claimed, “Giga knows he’s chopped cheese.”

Someone else even joked that ‘Ninja’ appeared eager to add another loss to his record, writing, “Giga really want to add another loss so fast.”

Brito, meanwhile, received plenty of support ahead of the fight. “Brito is gonna mess him up,” one fan predicted, while another pointed to his recent form, writing, “7-3 with all but 1 of his wins coming by stoppage, and on a 2 fight winning streak. Yeah Brito’s gonna walk all over Giga.”

Another commenter was even more ruthless, simply writing, “R.I.P Giga, won’t be missed though.”

Still, completely counting the 38-year-old out could be asking for trouble, especially in a 2026 season that has already delivered its fair share of surprises.

Sean Strickland shocked the MMA world by handing Khamzat Chimaev the first loss of his career and taking the middleweight title at UFC 328.

Justin Gaethje then added two more massive upsets to the list, beating Paddy Pimblett by decision to stop his rise and win the interim lightweight title before stunning Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 to become the undisputed lightweight champion.

The biggest shock might’ve come on Dana White’s Contender Series, where Alex Apodaca stunned highly touted prospect Bella Mir, the daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir.

Coming in as a massive underdog against the astronomical 6000 favorite, Apodaca completely neutralized Mir’s wrestling, dragged her into the later rounds, and walked away with a unanimous decision win and a UFC contract that surely rubbed Mrs. Mir the wrong way.

So, while the reaction around Giga Chikadze might be brutal, that doesn’t mean the fight is already decided. The Georgian still has a chance to flip the script at UFC 331 and make all those predictions look pretty silly. If 2026 has taught fans anything, it’s that fights aren’t won on paper.