The MMA Daily

The co-main event comes in the Middleweight division, as Chidi Njokuani takes on Gregory Rodrigues. Enjoying a career resurgence, Njokuani has won four straight fights via knockout. More impressively, the two that have come inside the octagon, both ended emphatically in round one. At 33 years old and with excellent momentum, with a victory, Njokuani could very well crack the division top fifteen in only three fights. Meanwhile, Rodrigues comes into this fight off an impressive knockout victory over Julian Marquez. The victory was his fifth in the past six fights, and inched him one step closer to being ranked. With a victory here, it would be hard to deny “Robocop” that number and/or a ranked opponent next.

One of the most exciting fights on the card, this bout could very well be awarded “Fight of the Night” when all is said and done. Njokuani, is a solid striker. With fast hands and legitimate power, Njokuani has won fourteen of his twenty victories via knockout. Known for his arsenal on the feet, which includes knees, leg kicks and elbows, Njokuani is a dangerous man to stand across from. The same could be said about Rodrigues, who despite being a credentialed grappler, has often prefered striking. While he could use improvements in striking defense, for the most part, his chin has proven tough. Offensively potent, Rodrigues is a high output striker, who boasts accuracy and power. With solid forward pressure, Rodrigues can overwhelm opponents – which we saw against Julian Marquez. However, in this particular fight, I believe that Njokuani will find success within his counter striking. Knowing that Rodrigues can be hit, and has been knocked out in two of four losses, I envision that he will get clipped and finished at some point. With that said, I predict Njokuani will win via knockout!