Chidi Njokuani has gone 2-0 in the UFC since cutting down to welterweight, but failed to beat the scale for his UFC Vegas 104 clash with Elizeu Zaleski this Saturday at UFC APEX. “Capoeira” expected that, and feels it’s an advantage to have his opponent deplete himself days before a cagefight.
“I think he had a hard time making 170, so it’s an advantage for me,” Zaleski told MMA Fighting prior to Njokuani’s weight miss. “He probably already had a hard time cutting weight for middleweight, and now he’s cutting even more for welterweight, so it’s a lot. It takes time to adapt.”
Njokuani missed weight once as a middleweight, coming in almost five pounds over the limit for his fight with ex-Bellator champion Rafael Carvalho in 2019. His weight was on point for his next seven bouts before dropping to welterweight, and he passed the test ahead of UFC wins over Rhys McKee and Jared Gooden. However, this time he came in 1.25 pounds over over the limit.
“Welterweight is completely different from middleweight,” said Zaleski, who holds a knockout win over Sean Strickland at 170 pounds. “Fighters are slower and heavier at middleweight, so it’s different. Welterweight requires more strength and speed, and it takes time to adapt to it or you end up gassing. I see myself in a great position in the division, so let’s see how well he does.”
Zaleski knocked out Zach Scroggin in just 75 seconds in his most recent octagon appearance to bounce back from a majority draw with Rinat Fakhretdinov and a decision loss to Randy Brown. “Capoeira” won two in a row prior to that, including a one-sided beatdown over Benoit Saint Denis, and aims for another stoppage in Las Vegas.
“I’m always super excited to brawl and it’s no different this time,” Zaleski said. “I’m more smart and more technical this time. [Njokuani] is an experienced opponent who has fought for major promotions before, and he’s on a good run in the UFC. He’s good, he’s great, and it will be a pleasure to brawl with him. I see some openings on the stand up and we might see a knockout here.”
