Tag: Chidi Njokuani

UFC Fight Night 210’s Chidi Njokuani sees clash against Gregory Rodrigues as a ‘big test’

Chidi Njokuani breaks down Gregory Rodrigues fight ahead of UFC Fight Night 210.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] is more than happy with his next opponent.

The UFC middleweight takes on Gregory Rodrigues this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 210. Njokuani (22-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looks to maintain his unbeaten record since joining the UFC, but he also wants to get tested on the ground, as that’s been a weak spot of his in the past. And Njokuani thinks Brazil’s Rodrigues (12-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) can do just want.

“I kind of figured it would happen eventually,” Njokuani told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 210 media day when asked about his matchup. “We’re both off the Contender Series, and he’s won a few fights, and I’m winning a few fights, so I figured it was going to happen eventually.

“I like the matchup. I like it a lot. It’s a big test for me. He’s a really good jiu-jitsu guy and all that sh*t – everything that I was bad at before. So it’s a new test for me to show how hard I’ve been working.”

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In his two most recent wins, Rodrigues actually won the fights by knockout. Njokuani is unsure what to expect from the jiu-jitsu black belt in their 185-pound clash.

“Most people say they’ll stand and bang, but you know how that turns out,” Njokuani said. “But I don’t know, most jiu-jitsu guys tend to do that – they get a couple of knockouts, and now they just want to punch everyone in the face. So we’ll see, I guess it will be a better night for me if he does decide to stand.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.

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UFC Fight Night 210 pre-event facts: Can Cory Sandhagen snap his skid?

Check out the numbers behind UFC Fight Night 210, where Cory Sandhagen looks to avoid a three-fight skid in the main event.

The UFC hosts its final event of September on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 210, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams entirely on ESPN+.

A crucial bantamweight matchup serves as the main event. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will attempt to snap his two-fight skid when he takes on the surging [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) in a showdown scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 210.

UFC Fight Night 206 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida delivers shutout in heavyweight debut

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 206, which saw six of 11 fights end in a finish including a shutout.

The UFC closed its May schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 206, which went down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw six of 11 fights end in a finish.

The main event was among the bunch to go to the scorecards. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) edged former UFC champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) by split decision in the women’s bantamweight headliner, marking her second consecutive win over a former UFC champion.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 206.

UFC Fight Night 206 bonuses: War between Pereira, Ponzinibbio a no-brainer for Fight of the Night

Check out who took home an extra $50,000 for their performance at UFC Fight Night 206.

LAS VEGAS – Six of the 11 fights at the UFC Apex on Saturday evening resulted in early finishes, giving the UFC decision-makers plenty of choices when it came time to issue bonuses.

The co-main event of UFC Fight Night 206 between Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio left a lasting impression as their three-round battle was the most intense of the evening. The fight turned into an all-out slugfest in the closing minutes, living up to the expectations for the contest between the two exciting welterweights. Naturally, their battle earned Fight of the Night honors.

The promotion also handed out two Performance of the Night bonuses, awarding a pair of fighters an extra $50,000 for their finishes.

Check out who all took home a bonus for their performance on Saturday.

UFC Fight Night 206 video: Chidi Njokuani demolishes Dusko Todorovic with brutal elbow knockout

Now that he’s finally in the UFC, Chidi Njokuani isn’t messing around.

Now that he’s finally in the UFC, [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] isn’t messing around.

Njokuani (22-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) scored his third finish inside the octagon Saturday at UFC Fight Night 206 by demolishing [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] with a brutal elbow to knock him out at the 4:48 mark of the first round.

Check out this violence (via Twitter):

Including his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, the elbow knockout marked Njokuani’s third consecutive stoppage in the octagon. It took him all of 16 seconds to TKO Marc-André Barriault in his UFC debut in February.

Njokuani, 33, spent three years in Bellator and made an LFA appearance before getting his UFC opportunity. He’s certainly made the most of it so far.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 206 results:

  • Chidi Njokuani def. Dusko Todorovic via KO (elbow) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Tabatha Ricci def. Polyana Viana via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Jun Yong Park def. Eryk Anders via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
  • Joseph Holmes def. Alen Amedovski via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:04
  • Jailton Almeida def. Parker Porter via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:35
  • Uros Medic def. Omar Morales via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:05
  • Jonathan Martinez def. Vince Morales via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
  • Chase Hooper def. Felipe Colares via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:00
  • Sam Hughes def. Elise Reed via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:52

UFC Fight Night 200 bonuses: Julian Erosa pockets $100k for Fight of the Night

Check out who took home a bonus for their performance at UFC Fight Night 200 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The UFC returned to its home base at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday and delivered a fight card filled with exciting finishes.

After the event, the promotion awarded two Performance of the Night bonuses for their exciting finishes. The Fight of the Night bonus, which is usually shared between both competitors, went to one fighter this time around. Julian Erosa and Steven Peterson’s three-round battle earned the award, but due to Peterson missing weight, he was ineligible to receive his share of the award.

Check out who all earned a bonus for their performance at UFC Fight Night 200 below.

UFC Fight Night 200 video: Chidi Njokuani wins in 16 seconds for second fastest debut in UFC history

Chidi Njokuani scored the second-fastest debut victory in octagon history with a 16-second finish at UFC Fight Night 200.

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] couldn’t have drawn up a more perfect UFC debut than what he had against [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 200.

Longtime fighter Njokuani (21-7 MMA, 1-0 UFC) finally got his shot at the big stage Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After being awarded a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, he maximized the platform of his official octagon debut with a 16-second starching of Barriault (13-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in their middleweight bout.

Moments after the fight began, Njokuani hit Barriault with a left jab followed by a right cross that immediately led to a knockdown. He followed up with a swarming flurry against the fence, and the referee had no choice but to stop it.

Check out the replay of the stoppage below (via Twitter):

Njokuani’s win marked the second fastest debut performance in UFC history. Only Terrance McKinney and his seven-second knockout has him beat, but it’s good company to be in.

Having been a professional since 2007, Njokuani has gone through the ranks of various promotions. He said he’s finally where he belongs, though, and is ready to rise to the top at 185 pounds.

“I’m coming for the top,” Njokuani said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I’m trying to take that belt, you feel me?”

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LFA 91 highlights: Fighters serve up a feast of finishes in Sioux Falls

Recap the best of the action from Sioux Falls as Chidi Njokuani claimed a stoppage victory in the night’s main event.

LFA 91 hit our screens Friday night as the respected promotion staged its latest offering from Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Sanford Pentagon played host to seven main-card fights on UFC Fight Pass, with five of them finishing inside the distance as the fighters pushed the pace throughout a breathless evening of high-octane action.

The middleweight main event saw former Bellator athlete [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] score a second-round stoppage of Cristian Torres, while Arizona middleweight [autotag]Kyle Stewart[/autotag] produced a second-round ground-and-pound finish of Tim Caron.

There were also notable stoppage victories for [autotag]Kelly Clayton[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Maximov[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag] and [autotag]Edwin Chavez[/autotag] on a card that only saw two matchups go to the judges’ scorecards.

Recap the best of the main card action from LFA 91 via the video above.

LFA 91 official results include:

  • Chidi Njokuani def. Cristian Torres via TKO (knee and punches) – Round 2, 4:10
  • Kyle Stewart def. Tim Caron via TKO (ground and pound) – Round 2, 4:00
  • Jamal Pogues def. Tim Hiley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Kelly Clayton def. Hailey Cowan via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 0:46
  • Nick Maximov def. Johnny James Jr. via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:01
  • Nate Richardson def Darius Estell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Josh Quinlan def. Pete Keepers via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:29