Chidi Njokuani keeps stacking highlight-reel finishes, and Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 254 was no exception. In the co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Njokuani (25-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) unleashed a vicious knee that crumpled Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (25-9-1 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC), then sealed the deal with a flurry of ground strikes at 2:19 of Round 2. It was the kind of brutal stoppage that reminds everyone why Njokuani’s name is buzzing in the welterweight division.

The fight itself was a wild ride from the jump. Njokuani came out aggressive in Round 1, peppering dos Santos with sharp jabs and body kicks while showing off his rangy frame. Dos Santos, a UFC vet since 2015, fired back with looping hooks and tried to close the distance, but Njokuani’s movement kept him at bay. Then came Round 2—the turning point. Njokuani timed a picture-perfect knee as dos Santos lunged in, catching him flush and sending him crashing to the canvas. What followed was a swarm of punches that left referee Herb Dean no choice but to wave it off. The crowd at the Apex might’ve been small, but the roar for that finish echoed big.

Unfortunately for Njokuani, there’s a bittersweet footnote: he missed weight for the bout, costing him a shot at a $50K Performance of the Night bonus. Tough break, but the win itself—his third straight—could open bigger doors. Riding high in his post-fight interview, Njokuani didn’t waste time, calling for a top-15 opponent next. With finishes like that, it’s hard to argue he doesn’t deserve it. On the flip side, dos Santos is now 1-2-1 in his last four, marking the roughest patch of his career. The Brazilian brawler’s got resilience, but he’ll need to regroup fast to climb out of this slump.

UFC Fight Night 254: Full Night of Fireworks

Njokuani’s knockout was the cherry on top of a stacked UFC Fight Night 254 card. Here’s how the rest of the action went down:

  • Alexander Hernandez def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) – Hernandez outworked Holobaugh over three rounds for a solid win.
  • Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Gibson via submission (kimura) – Round 2, 4:09 – Blackshear locked in a slick kimura to tap Gibson late in Round 2.
  • Brendson Ribeiro def. Diyar Nurgozhay via submission (kimura) – Round 2, 1:28 – Ribeiro mirrored Blackshear with his own kimura finish earlier in the night.
  • Kevin Vallejos def. SeungWoo Choi via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:09 – Vallejos wasted no time, smashing Choi with punches for a first-round stoppage.
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Ryan Spann via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:48 – Cortes-Acosta welcomed Spann to heavyweight with a brutal beatdown.
  • SuYoung You def. AJ Cunningham via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – You dominated Cunningham across the board.
  • Carlos Vera def. Josias Musasa via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:16 – Vera choked out Musasa in a quick and tidy finish.
  • Sam Hughes def. Stephanie Luciano via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-27) – A tight scrap that went Hughes’ way by the slimmest of margins.
  • Andre Lima def. Daniel Barez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:05 – Lima capped a war with a late-round choke.
  • Priscila Cachoeira def. Josiane Nunes via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:46 – Cachoeira landed a single bomb to end it fast.
  • Carli Judice def. Yuneisy Duben via TKO (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 1:40 – Judice’s head kick and follow-up punches were pure violence in under two minutes.

Njokuani’s knee-from-hell moment stole the spotlight, but the card delivered a mix of slick submissions, crushing knockouts, and gritty decisions. With his win streak rolling, Chidi’s got his sights set on the welterweight elite—don’t be surprised if he’s crashing the top 15 soon.