LAS VEGAS – Tafon Nchukwi beat Jamie Pickett via unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 183 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Contender Series alum Nchukwi, who claimed a dominant decision victory on his octagon debut.
Tafon Nchukwi vs. Jamie Pickett
Result: Tafon Nchukwi def. Jamie Pickett via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)
Updated records: Nchukwi (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Pickett (11-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Nchukwi’s decision victory was the first time in his amateur or professional career that he’d gone to the judges’ scorecards.
Nchukwi on Pickett’s durability
“Man, I was not expecting him to stand in there for all of those rounds. The dude took everything I had. As you could tell, he came in there super-prepared. He was not willing to go down. he came in there for his debut, just like I did, and we had a great fight.”
Nchukwi on proving his cardio doubters wrong
“Oh yeah, I answered a lot of questions from a lot of people. I saw a lot of doubters out there, ‘This guy’s slow, there’s not going to be able to last three rounds.’ But I got to showcase to you guys that I’m able to go three rounds. We train for more than three, so I’m always super in condition, and I’m always ready.”
Nchukwi on staying at middleweight, mostly
“Middleweight right now is looking like where I’m gonna stay because since I started my journey my coaches have always told me middleweight is where we’re trying to get to. So once we got the contract and we got asked to do it, my coach is like, ‘Yeah. This is where we’re gonna be at.’ But the 205 option is still there. They’re not safe. If there’s an opportunity there, you best believe I’m gonna slide through in there.”
Nchukwi on his next test
“I’m looking to climb through the ranks next year. I’m gonna take this little break because I’ve been non-stop since earlier this year just getting ready for this. … I’m looking probably around March or so. Hopefully, if they find me something, I’ll be ready to go.”