Chidi Godson Njokuani (born December 31, 1988) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

, former

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

fighter and kickboxer, who currently competes in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). A professional since 2007, he also formerly competed for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

, RFA, Tachi Palace Fights, and Legacy FC.

Background

Chidi Njokuani was born to

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

parents in Dallas, Texas on December 31, 1988. His name "Chidi" means "God exists" in Igbo. 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 Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

at the age of 18.

Kickboxing & Muay Thai career

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 Joseph Francis Schilling (born January 13, 1984) is an American professional Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator Kickboxing in the Middleweight division, and in the Middleweight division for Bell ...

on April 25, 2009 (dropping a

unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...

at ''Dominant Knockout 1'' in

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an Inner suburb, inner city suburb of Dallas. Irving is noted for its #Demographics, racial and ethnic diver ...

) 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 Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

on July 30, 2011) and Ken Tran (a second round

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

at ''Lion Fight: Battle in the Desert 4'' in Las Vegas on November 19, 2011). 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. 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.

Mixed martial arts career

Resurrection Fighting Alliance

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. Njokuani fought Jeremy Kimball at ''RFA 7'' and lost via submission.

Bellator MMA

In June 2015, it was announced that Njokuani had signed with

. He made his debut against Ricky Rainey at Bellator 146 on November 20, 2015. He won the fight by unanimous decision. 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. He won that fight via knockout due to a combination of body kick and punches. 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. 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. 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. Njokuani next moved up to Middleweight to face Hisaki Kato at Bellator 189 on December 1, 2017. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Njokuani was scheduled to face

Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese people, Surinamese-born Dutch people, Dutch mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Kickboxing, kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime (kickboxing), It's Showtime Middl ...

on November 30, 2018 at Bellator 210. However, Manhoef withdrew from the bout due to injury and was replaced by John Salter. Njokuani lost the bout via submission in the first round. Njokuani faced Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 224 in a 190-pound Catchweight bout on July 12, 2019. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Njokuani was subsequently released from the promotion.

Post-Bellator

After being released from Bellator, Njokuani signed a contract with

Legacy Fighting Alliance The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Houston, Texas. It was created as a result of the Legacy Fighting Championship and Resurrection Fighting Alliance merg ...

. He made his promotional debut against Cristhian Torres at LFA 91: Njokuani vs. Torres on September 11, 2020, winning by second-round technical knockout. 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.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his UFC debut, Njokuani faced Marc-André Barriault on February 5, 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland. He won the fight via knockout in round one. This fight earned him the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Njokuani next faced Duško Todorović on May 21, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 206. He won the fight via knockout due to an elbow at the end of the first round. This win earned him a second consecutive '' Performance of the Night'' award. Njokuani faced Gregory Rodrigues on September 17, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 210. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. Njokuani faced Albert Duraev on March 25, 2023 at UFC on ESPN 43. He lost the fight via split decision. Njokuani faced

Michał Oleksiejczuk Michał Oleksiejczuk (born February 22, 1995) is a Polish mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional since 2014, he was the former Thunderstrike Fight League Light heavyweight champion in Poland. He currently competes in the middle ...

at UFC Fight Night 225 on August 26, 2023. He lost the bout via first round ground and pound TKO stoppage at the end of the first round. Njokuani faced Rhys McKee on March 30, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 54. He won the fight via split decision. Njokuani faced Jared Gooden on October 12, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 244. At the weigh-ins, Gooden weighed in at 172.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the welterweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Gooden was fined 20 percent of his purse which went to Njokuani. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Njokuani was reportedly scheduled to compete on February 22, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 252. However, instead, he faced Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on March 15, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 254. At the weigh-ins, Njokuani weighed in at 172.5 pounds, one and a quarter pounds over the welterweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Njokuani was fined 20 percent of his purse which went to Zaleski dos Santos. Njokuani won the fight by technical knockout via a knee and elbows in the second round. Njokuani is expected to face Jake Matthews at UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville, TN on July 12, 2025.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (Two times) ** Fight of the Night (One time) **UFC.com Awards *** 2022: Ranked #6 Newcomer of the Year * Tachi Palace Fights ** Tachi PF Welterweight Championship (One time; former)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 25–10 (1) , Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos , TKO (knee and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–10 (1) , Jared Gooden , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–10 (1) , Rhys McKee , Decision (split) , UFC on ESPN: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:16 ,

Kallang Kallang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential zone located in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the l ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–9 (1) , Albert Duraev , Decision (split) , UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–8 (1) , Gregory Rodrigues , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–7 (1) , Duško Todorović , KO (elbow) , UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:48 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–7 (1) , Marc-André Barriault , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:16 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–7 (1) , Mário Felipe de Sousa , TKO (elbows) , Dana White's Contender Series 38 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7 (1) , Cristhian Torres , TKO (knee to the body and punches) , LFA 91 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:10 ,

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls ( ) is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Coun ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 (1) , Rafael Carvalho , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 224 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census. Geography Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 (1) , John Salter , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 210 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:32 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5 (1) , Hisaki Kato , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 189 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–5 (1) , Andrey Koreshkov , TKO (punches and elbows) , Bellator 182 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:08 , Verona, New York, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 (1) , Melvin Guillard , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 171 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mulvane, Kansas Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,286. History Mulvane was laid out in 1879 at the junction of five Santa Fe rail lines. It is named for ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 (1) , André Fialho , TKO (punches) , Bellator 167 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 (1) , Thiago Gonçalves , KO (body kick and punches) , Bellator 156 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:39 ,

Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 (1) , Ricky Rainey , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 146 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 (1) , Max Griffin , Decision (split) , Tachi Palace Fights 23 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 (1) , Gilbert Smith , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 22 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 (1) , Steve Hanna , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 18 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 10–4 (1) , Chris Heatherly , NC (elbow to spine) , RFA 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:31 ,

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4 , LeVon Maynard , TKO (punches) , ShinZo Fight Sport 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:40 ,

Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...

, Guatemala , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 , Jeremy Kimball , Submission (rear-naked choke) , RFA 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:51 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Phil Dace , TKO (punches) , RFA 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:41 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Bobby Cooper , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Kearney, Nebraska, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , John Reedy , TKO (leg kick) , Tachi Palace Fights 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:55 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Jon Harris , TKO (knee and punches) , Legacy FC 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 , Brandon Thatch , TKO (punches) , Ring of Fire 41 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:53 , Broomfield, Colorado, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Alan Jouban , TKO (body kick) , Tachi Palace Fights 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:27 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Jack Montgomery , Submission (guillotine choke) , 2010 in King of the Cage#KOTC: Infusion, KOTC: Infusion , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Chris Kennedy , KO (punches) , MMA Xplosion: Vianna vs. Lacy , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:52 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Jorge Lopez , TKO (punches) , MMA Xplosion: Next Generation Fighter , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:15 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Warren Thompson , Submission (keylock) , Bangkok Fight Night 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 , Atlanta, Georgia, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Andrew Moncriefe , TKO (punches) , Supreme Warrior Championship 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:22 , Frisco, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jorge Cortez , TKO (punches) , Fight Time Productions: Global Showdown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 ,

, United States ,

Kickboxing record (incomplete)

, - bgcolor="#c5d2ea" , 2013-9-28 , , Draw , , align=left, Simon Marcus , , Push Kick Promotions: Muay Thai World Stand Off 5 , ,

, US , , Decision (majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 0–2–1 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2009-4-25 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Dominant Knockout 1 , ,

, US, , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , , 0-2 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2008-5-3 , , Loss , , align=left, Raymond Daniels , , World Combat League , , Oklahoma, USA , , Decision (18-6) , , 1 , , 3:00 , , 0-1

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Njokuani, Chidi 1988 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Bellator male fighters American male kickboxers Light heavyweight kickboxers Kickboxers from Texas American male Muay Thai practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Igbo sportspeople Boxers from Dallas