Chidi Njokuani of Garland has an impressive 19-7 Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) record. He has an important bout against Mario Sousa Sept. 7 in Las Vegas and this bout will be the biggest of his life. If he wins with an impressive showing against Sousa he will be offered a contract with the UFC (the MMA equivalent of the NFL for football). The bout will be broadcast on ESPAN+. The fight is a part of the Dana White’s Contenders’ Series.
Background
Born in Dallas to Nigerian parents, Njokuani (nickname – Chidi Bang Bang), 32, is in the middleweight class. His height is 6’ 3” and his reach is 80.5 inches which, along with his experience, are two of his most important strengths.
He has been a professional competitor in MMA since 2007. In addition, he competed for the RFA, Tachi Palace Fights, and Legacy FC. He has also held the title of Tachi Palace Middleweight Champion.
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.
Chidi’s brother, introduced him to combat sports more than 20 years ago and he began competing when he was 11-years-old.
Chidi feels that the upcoming fight with Sousa will be a great one and said that it would mean very much to him to fight in the UFC.
“It would be a dream come true, finally an opportunity to showcase my skills on the biggest stage in MMA,” he said.
Training
A typical day of training includes striking in the morning and grappling training later in the day. He then goes for a run and follows that up with more striking. His devotion to training has resulted in a BJJ black belt. Chidi’s trainers are Saekson Janjira, Nick “One Kick” Blomgren and Sergio Penha