UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Middleweight
Two recent graduates of the Dana White Contender series meet in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 210. The Middleweight bout between Nigeria-American Chidi Njokuani and Brazilian Gregory Rodrigues is one to pay attention to as it involves a former kick boxer and an erstwhile jiu-jitsu champion. Both fighter go into this bout of Performance of the Night awards earlier in the year. Njokuani who is 2-0 in his nascent UFC career and 4-0 in his last four fights is expecting a tough challenge against a traditional Brazilian grappler who has been enjoying knocking out his recent opponents.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Chidi Njokuani
After a career in Muay Thai kickboxing, Chidi Njokuani picked up mixed martial arts, turning professional in 2007. He enjoyed remarkable success in various promotions like RFA, Bellator and Legacy before gaining a UFC contract via the Contender series. ‘Chidi Bang Bang’ started his UFC career with a bang by knocking out Marc-André Barriault and Duško Todorović this year. Fighting in February and May, Chidi landed two Performance of the Night awards in both the bouts.
Gregory Rodrigues
‘Robocop’ is a wrestler’s wrestler. He is a former eight-time BJJ national champion in Brazil, jiu-jitsu world champion and professional champion. The former LFA Middleweight champion debuted in the UFC in 2021 with a win against Duško Todorović. In four fights in the promotion he has only lost once. The 30-year-old won his last fight with a KO and Performance of the Night award after dispatching Julian Marquez in the first round this past June.
| Stats | Chidi Njokuani | Gregory Rodrigues |
| Age | 31 | 30 |
| Height | 6' 3" | 6' 3" |
| Reach | .80" | 75" |
| UFC Record | 2-0 | 3-1 |
| Streak | 2 | 1 |
Expert Betting Tips
Njokuani said at the fight press meet that he does not know what to expect from Rodrigues in their co-main event match-up. This is because the Jiu-Jitsu proponent has won his last two fights in the UFC via knockouts. Notwithstanding, Chidi has signalled a readiness to fight on the ground and reported that he has been training to improve his weaknesses on the mat. Both fighters are on a good run and have form so calling this bout will need some close attention. The path to victory for Njokuani may be to stay on his feet and use his 4-inch reach to keep the Brazilian at bay. Getting entangled may not be the best strategy as the jiu-jitsu champion can punch and grapple. The oddsmakers can hardly separate the two just like us, so we think that value is on a bet that the fight will go beyond the first round.
- Over 1.5 rounds at 1.72 odds on 1xbet
- W1 at 1.80 odds on Bet365
- W1 at 1.75 odds on Betway