ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] had his back against the wall entering UFC on ESPN 54.
The veteran was on a three-fight losing streak prior to Saturday’s event and also had just one fight remaining on his UFC contract. Defeating Rhys McKee was a must for Njokuani (23-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC), and he did so by split decision to break his losing streak and close out his contract with a win.
“It was the last fight on my contract, and I was just thankful they let me fight the last fight,” Njokuani told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at Boardwalk Hall. “Having a three-fight skid, it will mess with anybody’s confidence, but we put in a lot of work, and we pushed real hard and my team came together and really helped me for this camp. I was on 10 coming into this camp. I didn’t feel like anyone was going to beat me.”
UFC on ESPN 54 also marked Njokuani’s return to the welterweight division – a weight class he hadn’t competed in since 2016. The 35-year-old felt good in his return and is glad he made the decision to move back down from middleweight.
“I felt like I was able to defend stuff a lot more,” Njokuani said, reviewing his return to 170 pounds. “I felt like what I was throwing at him was actually hurting him. I was just talking to Robocop Gregory, and he was like, ‘You changed my life. I’ll never forget you.’ I was like, ‘I thought I threw that knee, and I was trying to kill you, but it just seemed like you just shrugged it off and kept coming at me.’
“Being at 170 feels like those shots will actually hurt my opponents now, and it gives me more confidence in throwing things a lot more and defending takedowns. It feels like what I’m doing is actually working now.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.