Giga Chikadze’s work with Knockout Cancer Foundation is changing lives

By Ali Hammad July 01, 2022 01:53

Giga Chikadze is an awesome mixed martial artist and an even better human being. The UFC recently honored its no.8 ranked Featherweight not for his contributions in the cage, but for the charitable work he has done outside of it that’s changing the lives of cancer patients.

Giga Chikadze received the 2022 Forrest Griffin Community Award for his work with Knockout Cancer Foundation, which he started in 2014. Apart from the recognition, the Ninja also received $25,000 to assist the efforts of his foundation.

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Giga Chikadze endured the toughest loss of his life in 2013, when his mother, Nino Chikadze, succumbed to her fight against breast cancer.

The former kickboxer revealed that he received some financial help in his home country of Georgia, but also saw firsthand how overwhelming those bills can be for the average American. The Fan Arch athlete quickly realized that supporting a sick loved one wasn’t possible for everyone.

“Pretty much whatever we had was from family, but a lot of other people were helping us because I was a fighter,” Giga Chikadze recalled in an interview with UFC.com. “This made me think that if somebody didn’t have anybody, any family or any celebrity in their family or something like this, how would they collect those finances?”

Nino Chikadze was always Giga’s no.1 supporter even during his early years as a kickboxer. Losing her made him realize that having a loved one stricken with cancer is hard enough as it is, but most families even deal with the hopelessness that comes with the mountain of bills that come with it.

The Knockout Cancer Foundation aims to aid families by funding patients' treatments, medical check-ups, lab tests, and even rehabilitation expenses.

Since its inception, the foundation has already provided 200 patients with funding for their many medical costs. Giga Chikadze himself mostly provides the funding through his earnings inside the octagon, along with endorsements from companies outside of the UFC.

“The only thing I could do after my mom’s passing was to continue my journey the way my mom wanted,” Giga Chikadze continued.

“Every time I help someone it feels like I’m giving a present in her memory and out of her love. I’m not expecting to get anything back. We are helping people who need this the most and, honestly, every single time we help someone, even if it’s small bit of help, it gives me this type of feeling that I need. It’s truly a blessing.”

Find out more about the KO Cancer Foundation through its website.

You can also help out the cause by purchasing Giga Chikadze's personalized merchandise exclusively available on the Fan Arch website. We even have tees, hoodies, and sweatshirts featuring the “Knockout Cancer” design.

Giga Chikadze’s work outside of fighting is really inspirational, but we also can’t ignore his body of work inside the cage. He won his first seven fights in the octagon, including impressive finishes of former title contenders Edson Barboza and Cub Swanson. Calvin Kattar ended Giga Chikadze’s hot streak in their last outing, but it will only make him an even better fighter.

For sure, Giga Chikadze’s exciting fighting style and philanthropic ways will earn him even more fans in the future.

Giga Chikadze, along with 700+ professional athletes and influencers, all have personalized merchandise available on the Fan Arch’s website!

Fan Arch aims to transcend the narrative by making it easier to bridge the gap between athletes, influencers, and their fans. Check out our creative and personalized collection through Fanarch.com.