Chidi Njokuani
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| Chidi Njokuani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chidi Godson Njoku-Ani December 31, 1988 Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Other names | Chidi Bang Bang |
| Nationality | American Nigerian |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Light Heavyweight (Kickboxing) Welterweight/Middleweight (MMA) |
| Reach | 80.0 in (203 cm)[1] |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Team | Janjira Muay Thai One Kick's Gym Sergio Penha BJJ |
| Trainer | Saeksan Janjira Nick "One Kick" Blomgren Sergio Penha |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 14 |
| Wins | 12 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 13 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 7 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Anthony Njokuani (brother) |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Search Chidi Njokuani on Amazon.
Chidi Godson Njokuani[2] (born December 31, 1988) is an American-Nigerian former Muay Thai kickboxer and current professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he also formerly competed for the RFA, Tachi Palace Fights, and Legacy FC.
Background[edit]
Chidi Njokuani was born to Nigerian parents in Dallas, Texas on December 31, 1988.[3] His name "Chidi" means "God exists" in Igbo.[4] He was introduced to Muay Thai by his older brother Anthony at the age of 10 and began competing at the age of 11. He was temporarily distracted from Muay Thai with skateboarding during his teenage years but eventually returned to fighting and discovered mixed martial arts at the age of 18.[5]
Career[edit]
Kickboxing & Muay Thai[edit]
Turning professional in 2007 after around fifteen amateur Muay Thai fights, Chidi Njokuani came to prominence competing in the -80.7 kg/178 lb division for the Oklahoma Destroyers in the team-based World Combat League kickboxing promotion during the 2007-08 season in which he lost matches to such notables as Raymond Daniels and Lyman Good. He suffered his first professional Muay Thai loss at the hands of Joe Schilling on April 25, 2009 (dropping a unanimous decision at Dominant Knockout 1 in Irving, Texas) but rebounded with back-to-back defeats of Edwin Aguilar (a UD win under Oriental kickboxing rules at Kickboxing Empire I in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 30, 2011)[6] and Ken Tran (a second round knockout at Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 4 in Las Vegas on November 19, 2011).[7]
Returning to the Muay Thai ring, Njokuani fought to a controversial majority draw with Simon Marcus on the Push Kick Promotions: Muay Thai World Stand Off 5 card in Las Vegas on September 29, 2013.[8][9] Njokuani started the fight well, using footwork to control the ring, but Marcus soon got inside and began landing knees and elbows from the clinch. In round two, Njokuani was twice given time to recover from illegal strikes, an elbow to the back of the head and a low blow. Each time the fight continued, Marcus would begin to again work in the clinch and Njokuani repeatedly turned his back, so the referee decided to break the fighters continually. Marcus was docked a point by referee Tony Weeks for landing a second low blow in round three and the fight turned into a brawl towards the end. When it went to the judges, the bout was declared a majority draw with two judges scoring the bout a draw and one scoring the bout for Njokuani. Simon Marcus then took to the microphone, calling Chidi Njokuani a "bitch" for his unwillingness to fight in the clinch and questioning the judges knowledge of the Muay Thai scoring system. These post-fight comments led to a heated confrontation between Marcus and Chidi's brother Anthony as they scuffled back stage.[10]
Mixed martial arts[edit]
Resurrection Fighting Alliance[edit]
Having compiled a 7–3 record as a mixed martial artist, Njokuani signed with the Resurrection Fighting Alliance in 2012. He made his RFA debut at RFA 3: Stevenson vs. Cochrane, against Bobby Cooper. He won via the first decision of his career.
Njokuani then was paired up with Phil Dace at RFA 4. He won via TKO.[11]
Njokuani fought Jeremy Kimball at RFA 7 and lost via submission.[12]
Bellator MMA[edit]
In June 2015, it was announced that Njokuani had signed with Bellator MMA. He made his debut against Ricky Rainey at Bellator 146 on November 20, 2015.[13] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[14]
In his second fight for the promotion, Njokuani was scheduled to face Douglas Lima, however Lima pulled out of the bout and was replaced b Thiago Jambo at Bellator 156 on June 17, 2016.[15] He won that fight via knockout due to a combination of body kick and punches.[16]
In his highest profile fight for the promotion, Njokuani faced undefeated prospect André Fialho at Bellator 167 on December 3, 2016. He won the fight via knockout just 21 seconds into the first round.[17]
Making a quick return to the cage, Njokuani faced Melvin Guillard in the main event at Bellator 171 on January 27, 2017. He won the fight by unanimous decision.[18]
Njokuani faced former Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. He lost the fight in the first round via a combination of punches and elbows.[19]
Njokuani next moved up to Middleweight to face Hisaki Kato at Bellator 189 on December 1, 2017.[20] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]
Njokuani was scheduled to face Melvin Manhoef on November 30, 2018 at Bellator 210.[22] However, Manhoef withdrew from the bout due to injury and was replaced by John Salter.[23] Njokuani lost the bout via submission in the first round.[24]
Njokuani faced Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 224 in a 190 pound Catchweight bout on July 12, 2019.[25] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[26] Njokuani was subsequently released from the promotion.[27]
Post-Bellator[edit]
After being released from Bellator, Njokuani signed a contract with Legacy Fighting Alliance. He made his promotional debut against Cristhian Torres at LFA 91: Njokuani vs. Torres on September 11, 2020, winning by second-round technical knockout.[28]
Njokuani faced Mario Sousa on September 7, 2021 at Dana White's Contender Series 38. He won the bout in the third round via ground and pound elbows. In the process, he also secured a UFC contract.[29]
Ultimate Fighting Championship[edit]
Njokuani faced Marc-André Barriault on February 5, 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland.[30] He lost the fight via knockout in round one.[31] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[32]
Njokuani faced Duško Todorović on May 21, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 206.[33]
Championships and accomplishments[edit]
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Marc-André Barriault[32]
- Tachi Palace Fights
- Tachi PF Welterweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record[edit]
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 29 matches | 21 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 13 | 3 |
| By submission | 1 | 3 |
| By decision | 7 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duško Todorović | UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira | May 21, 2022 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | ||||||
| Win | 21–7 (1) | Marc-André Barriault | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland | February 5, 2022 | 1 | 0:16 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 20–7 (1) | Mário Sousa | TKO (elbows) | Dana White's Contender Series 38 | September 7, 2021 | 3 | 1:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 19–7 (1) | Cristhian Torres | TKO (knee to the body and punches) | LFA 91 | September 11, 2020 | 2 | 4:10 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | |
| Loss | 18–7 (1) | Rafael Carvalho | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 224 | July 12, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Catchweight (190 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 18–6 (1) | John Salter | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 210 | November 30, 2018 | 1 | 4:32 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 18–5 (1) | Hisaki Kato | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 189 | December 1, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Middleweight debut. |
| Loss | 17–5 (1) | Andrey Koreshkov | TKO (punches and elbows) | Bellator 182 | August 25, 2017 | 1 | 4:08 | Verona, New York, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout; Njokuani missed weight. |
| Win | 17–4 (1) | Melvin Guillard | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 171 | January 27, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Mulvane, Kansas, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
| Win | 16–4 (1) | Andre Fialho | TKO (punches) | Bellator 167 | December 3, 2016 | 1 | 0:21 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout; Njokuani missed weight. |
| Win | 15–4 (1) | Thiago Gonçalves | KO (body kick and punches) | Bellator 156 | June 17, 2016 | 3 | 2:39 | Fresno, California, United States | |
| Win | 14–4 (1) | Ricky Rainey | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 146 | November 20, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 13–4 (1) | Max Griffin | Decision (split) | Tachi PF 23 | May 7, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Lemoore, California, United States | Won the Tachi PF Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–4 (1) | Gilbert Smith | Decision (unanimous) | RFA 22: Smith vs. Njokuani | January 9, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | Njokuani missed weight (174.6 lb); Only Smith was eligible to win the vacant RFA Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–4 (1) | Steve Hanna | Decision (unanimous) | RFA 18: Manzanares vs. Pantoja | September 12, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Catchweight (173.4 lb) bout; Njokuani missed weight. |
| NC | 10–4 (1) | Chris Heatherly | NC (elbow to spine) | RFA 13: Cochrane vs. Escudero | March 7, 2014 | 1 | 3:31 | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 10–4 | LeVon Maynard | TKO (punches) | ShinZo Fight Sport 1 | August 16, 2013 | 1 | 4:40 | Guatemala City, Guatemala | |
| Loss | 9–4 | Jeremy Kimball | Submission (rear-naked choke) | RFA 7: Thatch vs. Rhodes | March 22, 2013 | 2 | 1:51 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
| Win | 9–3 | Phil Dace | TKO (punches) | RFA 4: Griffin vs. Escudero | November 2, 2012 | 3 | 0:41 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–3 | Bobby Cooper | Decision (unanimous) | RFA 3: Stevenson vs. Cochrane | June 30, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Kearney, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 7–3 | John Reedy | TKO (leg kick) | Tachi PF 13 | May 10, 2012 | 1 | 0:55 | Lemoore, California, United States | Catchweight (173.6 lb) bout; Njokuani missed weight. |
| Win | 6–3 | Jon Harris | TKO (knee and punches) | Legacy FC 10 | February 24, 2012 | 1 | 1:54 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 5–3 | Brandon Thatch | TKO (punches) | Ring of Fire 41: Bragging Rights | August 20, 2011 | 1 | 0:53 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Catchweight (173 lb) bout; Njokuani missed weight. |
| Win | 5–2 | Alan Jouban | TKO (body kick) | Tachi PF 9 | May 6, 2011 | 3 | 1:27 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–2 | Jack Montgomery | Submission (guillotine choke) | KOTC: Infusion | November 13, 2010 | 1 | 1:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 3–2 | Chris Kennedy | KO (punches) | MMA Xplosion: Vianna vs. Lacy | July 31, 2010 | 1 | 0:52 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 2–2 | Jorge Lopez | TKO (punches) | MMA Xplosion: Next Generation Fighter | May 22, 2010 | 1 | 4:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 2–1 | Warren Thompson | Submission (keylock) | Bangkok Fight Night 3 | September 24, 2009 | 1 | 1:05 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Andrew Moncriefe | TKO (punches) | Supreme Warrior Championship 1 | September 19, 2008 | 1 | 0:22 | Frisco, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jorge Cortez | TKO (punches) | FTP: Global Showdown | November 3, 2007 | 1 | 1:30 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ↑ "NSAC report of Elite Kickboxing" (PDF).
- ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2017-08-25). "Njokuani's winning ways began when he decided to stop wasting his talents". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Chidi". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Fight Path: Chidi Njokuani balances MMA and muay Thai careers with brother's help". MMA Junkie. 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Muay Thai Authority: Malaipet, Yarborough, and Njokuani kickboxing results". web.archive.org. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Muay Thai Authority: Results and Recap: Lion Fight Promotions "Battle in the Desert 4"". web.archive.org. 2011-11-24. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Push Kick Promotions set for September 28th in Las Vegas ~ Muay Thai Authority". web.archive.org. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Simon Marcus vs. Chidi Njokuani set for September 28th at Push Kick's "Muay Thai World Stand Off Las Vegas" ~ Muay Thai Authority". web.archive.org. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Push Kick Promotions "World Stand Off 5" Results and Recap: Marcus vs. Njokuani ends in controversial draw ~ Muay Thai Authority". web.archive.org. 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Stumberg, Patrick L. (2012-11-03). "RFA 4 Recap: Griffin, Njokuani Roll In Las Vegas". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Winston, Dallas (2013-03-23). "RFA 7 Complete Results with Animated Gifs". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ stevejuon (2015-10-08). "Bellator 146 Gets Some 'Bang Bang'". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ bjpenndotcom (2015-11-21). "Bellator 146 results: Chidi Njokuani wins via decision". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Cruz, Guilherme (2016-06-10). "Njokuani vs. Goncalves set for Bellator 156". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Mazique, Brian. "Bellator 156 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Galvao vs. Dantas Card". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Mercado, Eddie (2016-12-03). "Bellator 167 results and videos: Caldwell beats Taimanglo in rematch". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ↑ Segura, Danny (2017-01-28). "Bellator 171 results: Chidi Njokuani dominates Melvin Guillard in unanimous decision". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Bellator 182 results: Ex-champ Andrey Koreshkov pounds out Chidi Njokuani in first round". MMA Junkie. 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Sherdog.com. "Chidi Njokuani Moves Up To Middleweight, Meets Hisaki Kato at Bellator 189 in Oklahoma". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Anderson, Jay; Anderson, Jay (2017-12-01). "Bellator 189 Results: Chidi Njokuani Dominates Hisaki Kato". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2018-09-19). "Melvin Manhoef vs. Chidi Njokuani to headline Bellator 210". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Sherdog.com. "Melvin Manhoef Out, John Salter in Against Chidi Njokuani at Bellator 210". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Bellator 210 results: John Salter submits Chidi Njokuani on short notice, sets record". MMA Junkie. 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Cruz, Guilherme (2019-05-27). "Rafael Carvalho vs. Chidi Njokuani targeted for Bellator 224". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Bellator 224 results: Takedowns pace Rafael Carvalho win over Chidi Njokuani". MMA Junkie. 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Chidi Njokuani, Hisaki Kato among nine fighters released by Bellator". MMA Junkie. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ Sherdog.com. "Chidi Njokuani Shreds Cristhian Torres in Gory Legacy Fighting Alliance 91 Main Event". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ "Dana White's Contender Series 38 results: 5 more fighters score UFC deals". MMA Junkie. 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-10-03). "Marc-André Barriault treft UFC debutant Chidi Njokuani tijdens UFC evenement op 5 februari". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2022-02-05). "UFC Vegas 47: Lightning-Quick Finish Has Chidi Njokuani Stop Marc-André Barriault In Seconds". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Wells, Matthew (2022-02-06). "UFC Fight Night 200 bonuses: Julian Erosa pockets $100k for Fight of the Night". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
- ↑ "UFC | Njokuani wil imposant debuut goed vervolg geven tegen Todorovic". Eurosport (in Nederlands). 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ Sherdog.com. "Chidi Njokuani". Sherdog.
External links[edit]
- Professional MMA record for Chidi Njokuani from SherdogLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- "Chidi Njokuani". UFC.com.
Category:1988 births
Category:Living people
Category:American male mixed martial artists
Category:Middleweight mixed martial artists
Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
Category:Bellator male fighters
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