Chidi Njokuani vs. Gregory Rodrigues: UFC Fight Night 210 Odds, Prediction

Chidi Njokuani’s dominating performances in his first two UFC Fight Night appearances have helped lift him to a slim -140 favourite to win on the UFC Fight Night 210 odds going into Saturday night’s action. Gregory Rodrigues is also coming off a speedy finish in his last outing, and returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas sporting attractive +110 odds.

Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night 210 Odds

It was uncertain what to expect from Njokuani ahead of his move to the UFC late last year. “Chidi Bang Bang” struggled to find consistent form while losing three of his final four Bellator fights. However, the change has breathed new life into the Texas native’s fight game.

Indeed, Njokuani has not disappointed since earning a UFC contract with a third-round TKO win over Mario Sousa at Dana White’s Contender Series 38. The 33-year-old was spectacular in his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 47, ending Marc-Andre Barriault’s night just 16 seconds into their clash to record the second fastest knockout in UFC history.

Njokuani followed up with another impressive first-round finish last time out at UFC Vegas 55, knocking out Duško Todorović late in the first round of that fight to earn a second straight Performance of the Night bonus.

Chidi Bang Bang’s finishing exploits are nothing new. He tallied first-round victories in nine of his first 10 fights, and has finished opponents in 15 of his 22 career wins. However, he has also come out on the wrong side of early finishes, with five of his seven career defeats coming inside five minutes.

Gregory Rodrigues UFC Fight Night 210 Odds

A former LFA middleweight champion, Rodrigues rebounded from his first UFC loss in impressive fashion in his last outing. “Robocop” needed just 3:18 to record a KO win over Julian Marquez three months ago at UFC Austin, which also earned him his second performance bonus in three outings.

A jiu-jitsu black belt, who studied under the same coach as Jacare Souza from a young age, Rodrigues is also a skilled wrestler, claiming silver at the 2015 Pan American Wrestling Championships.

And in addition to averaging an impressive 6.00 significant strikes per minute since joining the UFC, he has also averaged 2.40 takedowns per 15 minutes, and earned four of his 12 career victories by submission.

However, there are concerns about his durability, considering he has earned the victory in just two of his four career fights that have been decided by the judges, including a three-round split decision loss to Armen Petrosyan at UFC Vegas 49, in which he was outstruck by a wide 128-61 margin.

UFC Fight Night 210 Prediction: Njokuani vs. Rodrigues

With both these fighters capable of throwing bombs and finishing opponents in a matter of seconds, this promises to be an entertaining slugfest. However, Rodrigues’ superior ability to take the action to the mat and force opponents to tap out give him an edge that make a value bet on the talented Brazilian worthwhile.

Prediction: Rodrigues by KO, TKO, DQ (+250)