LAS VEGAS – Chidi Njokuani is more than happy with his next opponent.
The UFC middleweight takes on Gregory Rodrigues this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 210. Njokuani (22-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looks to maintain his unbeaten record since joining the UFC, but he also wants to get tested on the ground, as that’s been a weak spot of his in the past. And Njokuani thinks Brazil’s Rodrigues (12-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) can do just want.
“I kind of figured it would happen eventually,” Njokuani told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 210 media day when asked about his matchup. “We’re both off the Contender Series, and he’s won a few fights, and I’m winning a few fights, so I figured it was going to happen eventually.
“I like the matchup. I like it a lot. It’s a big test for me. He’s a really good jiu-jitsu guy and all that sh*t – everything that I was bad at before. So it’s a new test for me to show how hard I’ve been working.”
In his two most recent wins, Rodrigues actually won the fights by knockout. Njokuani is unsure what to expect from the jiu-jitsu black belt in their 185-pound clash.
“Most people say they’ll stand and bang, but you know how that turns out,” Njokuani said. “But I don’t know, most jiu-jitsu guys tend to do that – they get a couple of knockouts, and now they just want to punch everyone in the face. So we’ll see, I guess it will be a better night for me if he does decide to stand.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.
UFC Fight Night 210’s Chidi Njokuani sees clash against Gregory Rodrigues as a ‘big test’