Rivalries: Chidi Njokuani

THAT ELBOW WAS NASTY 🤯 #UFCVegas55 pic.twitter.com/vtpOZ0Ee8Q

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 22, 2022

Chidi Njokuani’s tendency to run hot and cold has left him in a tenuous situation with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The 34-year-old Janjira Muay Thai product will attempt to improve upon his 2-2 record inside the Octagon when he faces Michal Oleksiejczuk as part of the UFC Fight Night 225 undercard on Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Njokuani heads into battle on the heels of back-to-back defeats. He last appeared on March 25, when he dropped a split decision to Albert Duraev at UFC on ESPN 43.

As Njokuani makes final preparations for his middleweight clash with Oleksiejczuk, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Max Griffin

Njokuani withstood extended exchanges in the clinch, weathered takedowns, cut loose with a series of body kicks and took a split decision from the Dave Marinoble protégé, as he laid claim to the Tachi Palace Fights welterweight title in the TPF 23 main event on May 7, 2015 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California. All three members of the cageside judiciary submitted 49-46 scorecards, with two of them ruling in Njokuani’s favor. Griffin seemed content to operate in close quarters while shooting for an occasional takedown. Njokuani stayed patient, created more favorable distance and did not waste opportunities when he got them. The younger brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting vet Anthony Njokuani, he cracked Griffin with more than one body kick that might have felled lesser men. Griffin—who had captured the title with a one-punch knockout of Ricky Legere Jr. six months earlier—called upon his considerable fortitude to withstand those attacks but failed to curry enough favor with two of the three judges.

Andrey Koreshkov

The former Bellator MMA welterweight champion cut through Njokuani with punches and elbows in the first round of their Bellator 182 headliner on Aug. 25, 2017 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. Koreshkov brought it to a close 4:08 into Round 1. Njokuani attacked the Russian’s base with a series of powerful kicks to the lead leg but could not keep him at bay. Koreshkov knocked the onetime Tachi Palace Fights titleholder off-balance with a spinning backfist, swarmed with punches and uncorked a flying knee before securing the second of his two takedowns. From there, he moved to a dominant position and let fly with unanswered punches and elbows until referee John McCarthy had seen enough.

Mario Felipe de Sousa

Njokuani put away “Coracao Valente” with a volley of third-round elbow strikes during Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 7, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Felipe de Sousa, who entered the cage on a five-fight winning streak, succumbed to blows 95 seconds into Round 3. Njokuani endured two low blows in the first round that resulted in a point deduction for his Brazilian adversary. Sousa never seemed to find his footing. Njokuani excelled in open space, beat up the Caes do Ringue prospect in the clinch and flexed his superiority on the ground. The One Kick’s Gym export drove Sousa to the canvas with a series of knees to the body early in the third round, assumed a dominant position and activated his ground-and-pound. Punches eventually gave way to elbows and forced the stoppage. The performance earned Njokuani a UFC contract.

Gregory Rodrigues

The onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance champion overcame a horrific horizontal cut between his eyes to put away Njokuani with punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 210 co-main event on Sept. 17, 2022 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Rodrigues drew the curtain 1:27 into Round 2. Njokuani walked the Brazilian into a brutal knee strike to the face in the first round—accompanied by an audible crack, the impact sliced opened a gash that stretched from one eye to the next—and swarmed for a possible finish, blood streaming from the wound. Rodrigues refused to back down, returned fire and eventually hurt the Sergio Penha disciple with right hands, clinch uppercuts and elbows. Njokuani had little left in the tank at the start of Round 2. Rodrigues bullied him to the canvas, postured in a kneeling position and let his hands go until the job was done.