Athletes
Chidi Njokuani | Finding A New Home At Welterweight
Welterweight Chidi Njokuani Looks To Earn His Fourth Straight Victory Since Changing Weight Divisions This Saturday When He Collides With Jake Matthews At UFC Nashville
Starting his UFC career with two first-round knockouts, Chidi Njokuani was forced to make a change following three straight losses in the span of a year.
After 10 fights at middleweight, dating back to 2017, Njokuani decided to move back down to welterweight in hopes of finding the same success he had in his first two Octagon appearances.
It’s safe to say he’s done exactly that. Njokuani has secured a victory in each of his last three outings, with decision wins over Rhys McKee and Jared Gooden, followed by a second-round stoppage win over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in March.
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While the performances continue to improve in the new weight division, there’s still one inconsistent piece that Njokuani is keen on ironing out to get the most out of this transition: the weight cut. At 6-foot-3, making 171 pounds is no easy task. And while he’s hit the mark before, Njokuani hopes that with the guidance of his new nutritionist, those struggles will finally be behind him.
“This was far from seamless,” Njokuani said of making the transition to 170 pounds. “Getting the weight down, it’s a process in itself. It all works out. I’ve fought at 170 before and now I have a dietician. It’s a lot easier now with help. I just do what they tell me to do.”
One of the most impressive things about Njokuani’s recent run of form is how well he’s performing after nearly two decades of mixed martial arts competition. The 36-year-old began his professional career in 2007 and has managed to evolve across three generations to find himself just outside the UFC rankings 18 years later.
“It’s not too challenging because as long as I stay in the gym, I get different looks throughout the years,” Njokuani said of adapting to an evolving sport. “That’s just all I’ve been doing. Going against certain guys in the gym, different faces popping up here and there and getting my experience in that sense instead of just staying in my little bubble.
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“Dropping weight classes, that helped a lot. And just staying in the gym, staying focused, staying ready.”
Njokuani now finds himself just days away from a matchup with Jake Matthews, who sits in a similar position not far out from the welterweight Top 15. A 21-fight UFC veteran, Matthews is also riding a streak of his own, securing back-to-back wins over Phil Rowe and Francisco Prado.
“He’s going to bring a fight,” Njokuani said. “He’s got a decent name, we’re both kind of in the same area where we’re trying to get that Top 15 spot. Everything about this matchup excites me. He has a real good, strong boxing style. I got excited once I got the name.”
Stylistically, though, Njokuani believes he has all the tools to get the job done wherever the fight goes.
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“I think I’m a little better overall, just everywhere,” Njokuani said. “I think my ground game is a little better than his, I think my striking is a little better. Not that he’s not gonna come and bring his own set of skills, but I do feel like anywhere it goes, I’ll be in control.”
Njokuani believes a win inside Bridgestone Arena will unlock the door to ranked opponents and a lot more opportunities moving forward in his UFC career. Tune in this Saturday, July 12, to see if he makes good on his prediction at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira on ESPN+.
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira took place live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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