Athletes
Chidi Njokuani Is Hitting His Groove
Chidi Njokuani’s Move To Welterweight Probably Saved His UFC Career. Now He’s Looking To Build Some Serious Momentum As He Heads Into His First Bout Of 2025
It’s never too late to make a fresh start and, at the age of 36, Chidi Njokuani is enjoying the benefits of his new chapter.
One year ago, after suffering three losses on the spin in 2023, Njokuani ended a six-year run at middleweight when he made the move back down to welterweight.
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It was a decision that has already borne fruit, with “Bang Bang” notching back-to-back victories over Rhys McKee and Jared Gooden in 2024 to establish himself at 170 pounds.
Looking back at that period of his career, going through that run of defeats, then making a change and turning his form around, Njokuani said that it was a valuable, and welcome, experience.
“Yeah, I grew a lot,” he told UFC.com.
“I made a lot of changes. I decided to just stay focused on what I needed to do. And it's been showing in my last two fights.”
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The decision to move back down to welterweight wasn’t one he took lightly, but with those two wins in his pocket, his decision was validated, and has given him the confidence to move forward in the division.
“It felt like a new beginning, a reset, start over. It was the last fight on the contract. I’m like, ‘I got to make a change if I want to stick around.’
With his back against the wall, and competing in a new weight class, the pressure was on for Njokuani, and he admitted that he didn’t help himself by putting more pressure on himself heading into those must-win fights.
“More pressure than I probably should have!” he smiled.
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“More pressure than necessary, but it was a big deal for me. I really wanted to make a change. I really wanted to prove that I belong here.”
Despite the pressure, and the worry that defeat could spell the end of his time in the UFC, Njokuani stepped forward and went into the trenches with both McKee and Gooden to earn a pair of decision victories that helped right the ship and give him a base to build from in 2025.
“It feels great, bro, it's like, I know it wasn't crazy (to move down),” he said.
“I knew if I just did it this way, it'll work out.
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“It meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to my confidence, knowing that I can do three rounds at 170 after cutting all the weight.
“I can knock people out all day, but knowing that I can push (opponents) around like that, it built up something mentally that I didn't have before.”
Now Njokuani is riding a two-fight win streak as he looks to build on that momentum in his first bout of 2025. He takes on Brazil’s Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in the co-main event at the UFC APEX, and it’s an opportunity to start stacking wins and moving up the UFC’s welterweight ladder.
The pressure is still there, but having emerged from a nightmarish 2023 to bounce back in 2024, pressure is less of a concern for him now. It’s simply a known quantity he has to contend with every time he sets foot inside the Octagon.
“It's more like I understand it now,” he explained.
“Before it was a foreign thing to me. Now I get it so I'm more comfortable with it.”
Chidi Njokuani Gets 16 Second KO in His UFC Debut | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland
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Chidi Njokuani Gets 16 Second KO in His UFC Debut | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland
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Against dos Santos, Njokuani is facing a fighter with almost as much experience as himself. Between them, they’ve made the walk to the cage 69 times, and they’ve both made their names through their striking exploits. Njokuani has 14 knockouts to his name, dos Santos has 15.
It’s a style matchup that has Njokuani excited for Saturday night.
“He's good, he's aggressive, he's experienced,” he said.
“I think we have real similar fight records. Yeah, he’s a tough opponent, and it’ll be a good win for me.”
And after years of competing against bigger, stronger, harder-hitting fighters at middleweight, Njokuani is ready to spend more time being the hammer, rather than the nail, at welterweight. He’s already feeling the benefits of being the bigger man in his welterweight bouts.
“I think the biggest difference was the strength difference,” he explained.
“At 185 I felt like those guys were big! At 170 I can hang with these guys. I don't feel like I'm being bullied around.
“So I think that's really what it was – not so much the speed or anything, it's more the strength difference.”
Njokuani will be looking to put those physical advantages to good use on Saturday night against fellow veteran dos Santos, and longtime fans of the sport will already know that their respective fighting styles should make for an entertaining co-main event clash.
“You know they can always expect some type of exciting punches and kicks and all that,” he said.
“I’m just looking forward to putting on a real good show.”
UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 15, 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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