UFC Vegas 42 Fighter to Watch: Kennedy Nzechukwu
Light heavyweight opens the card on Saturday night in search of third win in 2021 and fourth straight victory overall
Name: Kennedy Nzechukwu
Nickname: African Savage
Record: 9-1 overall; 3-1 UFC
Division: Light Heavyweight
Team: Fortis MMA
Opponent: Da-un Jung (14-2-1 overall, 3-0-1 UFC)
This is one of the most compelling fights on the schedule this weekend, even though it has, for some reason, been positioned as the opening bout of the night, and not on the main card, where you’d think a clash between promising light heavyweights that have shown quality form of late would traditionally end up.
Jung has 14 wins in 17 career starts and a 3-0-1 record inside the Octagon, most recently having out-grappled William Knight in April. He’s unbeaten in 14 straight overall, flashed good finishing skills in the past, and is one of those unheralded types that suddenly could have a five-, six-, or seven-fight unbeaten streak built before everyone does the whole “Where did this guy come from routine?”
As intriguing as the 27-year-old South Korean fighter is, Nzechukwu profiles as a next-level prospect.
A graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series (Class of ‘18), the 29-year-old Nigerian-born hopeful has tremendous size for the division, standing six-foot-five and brandishing an 83-inch reach, which he’s still learning how to best utilize. More importantly, he has incredible natural power and a bottomless gas tank, which allows him to maintain that power later into fights, regardless of what has previously transpired.
Nzechukwu lost his debut to Paul Craig, suffering a similar fate as Magomed Ankalaev, having dominated the majority of the contest before the Scottish submission ace threw up a triangle choke that the inexperienced newcomer could not escape, resulting in a last-minute submission defeat. He rebounded with a victory over Darko Stosic in his sophomore showing, then suffered a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for the entirety of 2020 before returning to the Octagon in March at UFC 259.
All eyes were on his opponent, newcomer Carlos Ulberg, the latest recruit from the City Kickboxing team and a stunningly handsome man who flashed serious power in collecting a first-round knockout win on the Contender Series the previous fall to earn a contract. Many were expecting the newcomer to blow through Nzechukwu, and he landed an astonishing 83 of 120 significant strikes through the opening five minutes, yet the Fortis MMA product stood tall. It was more of the same to start the second, but as Ulberg’s pace waned and hands started to drop, Nzechukwu found his chin along the fence, sitting him down in a heap to collect the upset win.
A little more than three months later, he shared the cage with Danilo Marques, spending the whole of the first round with the Brazilian on his back and much of the second defending takedowns, giving up over eight minutes of control time through two rounds. But in the third, there was Nzechukwu, pressing forward, swinging sledges, connecting and putting Marques out just 20 seconds into the frame to secure his second stoppage win of 2021 and third straight victory overall.
Now he’s stationed opposite Jung, another dangerous, but somewhat unknown commodity, in the opening bout of this weekend’s card, staring down a potential 3-0 year that could catapult him closer to the Top 15.
What intrigues me most about Nzechukwu as a prospect and makes me lean towards him being a Top 10 fixture int he very near future is that he has all the intangibles and raw materials you want to see from an inexperienced fighter still learning how to best utilize their considerable weapons. His conditioning is outstanding, his power is fluid and natural, and his resolve is unbreakable, which he’s shown both inside and outside of the Octagon.
You are not going to break this young man.
He may lose some fights at some point along the way, but you are not going to break him, and when you couple that with his abundant natural talents, the tremendous drive he possesses, and the fact that he’s surrounded by a legion of outstanding coaches and training partners, all of whom are invested in seeing him thrive, it’s difficult not to forecast him making a move towards the rankings and potentially becoming a factor in the light heavyweight division.
His last two fights illustrate the kind of challenges Nzechukwu presents.
Ulberg hit him with everything he could muster, landing 146 significant strikes in a little more than eight minutes (18.25 per minute) and couldn’t get him out of there, while Marques spent nearly 80 percent of the first two rounds in control positions and couldn’t find a finish, only to get bounced 20 seconds into the third. Those defensive liabilities will catch up with him against more seasoned opponents, but he’s also going to keep growing, improving, closing up those gaps, and when he does, it’s not like the positives he displayed in those contests will suddenly fade.
There have been scores of “If they just fix this one thing” or “Just you wait until they reach this point” fighters to flash upside in the Octagon over the years that never took those next steps, and Nzechukwu could end up being one of those figures, but it won’t be for lack of effort. He’s a workhorse and a diligent student by all accounts, and with his abundant natural gifts and continued development, he could grow into something special.
Just as I said off the top: do not let the fact that Nzechukwu and Jung are leading off Saturday’s card brainwash you into thinking this fight doesn’t matter or these two are names you don’t need to bother with right now; this is a tremendous fight between two emerging talents in the light heavyweight division and the winner should be knocking on the door of the Top 15 when they start their 2022 campaign.
Pay attention to this fight, and keep close watch on Kennedy Nzechukwu.