Chidi Godson Njokuani aka ‘Bang Bang’ has an MMA record of 23-10-0 and earns up to $190,000 in the UFC. But it was not an easy journey and needed a lot of effort and determination. The world of combat sports can be pretty brutal when it comes to competition and even veterans cannot endure their career for a long period.

However, the Las Vegas native has been a professional fighter since 2007 and knows all about mixed martial arts and how to conquer the field. He is coming back finally at UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira Welterweight so let’s get to know more about his early life and childhood.

All about Chidi Njokuani’s ethnicity and parents

Born to Nigerian parents in Dallas, Texas on December 31, 1988, his name “Chidi” means “God exists” in Igbo. The middleweight contender was always interested in MMA and was introduced to the discipline of Muay Thai by his older brother Anthony at the age of 10. Njokuani took a great liking to the sport and eventually started to compete just one year later at the tender age of 11.

Njokuani briefly pursued skateboarding as a teenager which led to a sabbatical from MMA. However, his love for combat sports remained constant, leading him to return to Muay Thai training and eventually discover mixed martial arts at the age of 18. From there, he embarked on an impressive journey, steadily rising through the ranks of the UFC and gaining recognition as a formidable competitor.

Tenets of a veteran’s career

Chidi Njokuani transitioned from amateur Muay Thai to professional fighting in 2007, having amassed approximately fifteen amateur bouts. He quickly gained recognition by competing in the 80.7 kg/178 lb division for the Oklahoma Destroyers in the World Combat League kickboxing promotion during the 2007-2008 season.”   

Unfortunately, he suffered a big setback with a Muay Thai loss to Joe Schilling in April 2009. However, he quickly gained his footing again with fights against Edwin Aguilar and Ken Tran. Njokuani’s career trajectory continued with a controversial draw against Simon Marcus in the 2013 Push Kick Promotions: Muay Thai World Stand Off 5 event.

He then made a successful transition to Bellator, showcasing impressive performances before earning a UFC contract. Njokuani’s debut UFC fight against Marc-André Barriault resulted in a first-round knockout victory. He followed up with another knockout win over Duško Todorović before facing Gregory Rodrigues in 2022, where he suffered a second-round technical knockout loss. Despite the defeat, Njokuani was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus.

Njokuani’s latest challenge is in the form of fellow veteran Jared Gooden at UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira. Interestingly, this bout will be contested at Welterweight. Can ‘Bang Bang’ capitalize on the opportunity and gain momentum? We will have to wait and find out!