Preview: UFC on ESPN 43 ‘Vera vs. Sandhagen’

Middleweights

Chidi Njokuani (22-8, 2-1 UFC) vs. Albert Duraev (15-4, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Njokuani (-165), Duraev (+140)

It was not a shock when Njokuani hit the ground running in the UFC. A former Bellator MMA headliner with over a decade of experience, it was a bit absurd that “Chidi Bang Bang” had to theoretically prove himself and earn a contract on Dana White's Contender Series. Even with a loss in his last fight, it has been impressive to watch what Njokuani has brought during his time on the roster. Njokuani’s career has been prone to some stretches of ugliness, but he has been a consistent must-watch fighter in three UFC bouts. He quickly blasted Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic, and that September loss to Gregory Rodrigues was an all-out war that saw him essentially split the Brazilian’s face open even in defeat. Njokuani should be able to hang around as a relevant middleweight for a few more years—a path that begins anew against Duraev. Russia’s Duraev was essentially in the same boat as Njokuani by late 2021, earning a contract via DWCS while already having clearly proven enough to be ready for the big time. In Duraev’s case, his success has mostly centered around a crushing wrestling game, and while Njokuani has raised his stock since making his UFC debut, the Russian’s performances have mostly dulled his own hype. His debut was an ugly win over Roman Kopylov where he petered out over time, and his sophomore UFC assignment went much worse, as Joaquin Buckley was able to neutralize his wrestling and tag Duraev at will, resulting in a doctor stoppage in between rounds. Njokuani is not a lockdown defensive wrestler, but he should bring enough to the table to neutralize Duraev at times; even if he fails to do so, as long as Njokuani survives, he should be able to cause plenty of damage late once Duraev is likely to tire. The pick is Njokuani via third-round knockout.

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Vera vs. Sandhagen
Holm vs. Santos
Landwehr vs. Lingo
Barber vs. Lee
Kape vs. Perez
Njokuani vs. Duraev
The Prelims