Athletes
Kennedy Nzechukwu Has A New Sense Of Urgency
UFC Light Heavyweight Kennedy Nzechukwu Has Been Learning And Adding To His Game Ahead Of His Saturday Bout With Ovince Saint Preux.
Kennedy Nzechukwu never considered coming into the UFC with such little experience as a detriment.
From making his UFC debut against Paul Craig to beating veterans such as Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark, he wasted no time acclimating himself to the level of competition in the UFC.
Growing up on the job is exactly what Nzechukwu has been doing. Ten of his sixteen professional fights have taken place inside the Octagon, and he’s experienced a variety of highs and lows over the course of those bouts. The lows have led to new highs and unlocked abilities for Nzechukwu, and he feels primed to reach new levels in 2024.
‘I just want to keep stacking up more fights and getting more experience,” Nzechukwu told UFC.com. “That’s the key focus. More experience, more fights. We don’t stay young forever.”
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
On two different occasions, Nzechukwu ripped off impressive three-fight win streaks, showcasing his incredible potential, only for those win streaks to come to a sudden halt. That was the scenario last year when Nzechukwu entered his bout with Dustin Jacoby.
Jacoby knocked Nzechukwu out of the win column in less than 100 seconds, shutting down the 31-year-old’s shot at cracking the light heavyweight Top 15.
But Nzechukwu made sure to use the loss as a learning moment so that he’d be more prepared than ever the next time that Octagon door closed behind him.
Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
“It definitely wasn’t my night, but I learned a lot,” Nzechukwu said. “I grabbed a whole bunch of experience from that fight, especially with the Octagon awareness and being able to live in the moment and in the present; not worrying about the external factors that contribute to the uncomfortable nature in there. It’s just having fun, implementing my gameplan, and grabbing the victory.”
The loss did ignite something new in terms of mindset for the “African Savage.”
“It just put more urgency on my career,” Nzechukwu said. “To take it more seriously and grab the victory every time I go in there.”
Nzechukwu knows that there is plenty more to learn on the job, but losing in the process will never be in the plan. Sure, stacking up fights and fighting high-level opposition presents risks, but when Nzechukwu reflects on how far he’s come since he made his pro debut in 2016, he can’t even recognize that fighter, and he’s expecting to beat whatever man stands across from him.
Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
This weekend, at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura, Nzechukwu will fight Ovince Saint Preux, who is on the opposite end of the experience spectrum. OSP had already been in the UFC for over three years before Nzechukwu fought professionally for the first time, and he’s done just about it all at 205 pounds.
Nzechukwu admits that fighting OSP was never on his to-do list, but he has plenty of respect for him and knew that it was always a possibility, considering they both call the light heavyweight division home.
He’s expecting the fight to be a tough one, but he’s confident that his skill level will outweigh OSP’s advantage in experience.
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“He’s an explosive fighter and a veteran; he obviously has the Von Flue chokes up his sleeve, but he’s mostly a standup fighter,” Nzechukwu said. “I feel like right now in my career I’m more well-rounded, and although you can’t buy experience and that’s something he’s always going to have over me, I feel like I’m ready.
“I’m in a position in my career where I can go get that victory.”
UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 16, 2024. See the final Prelims and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass.
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