Tafon Nchukwi was recently compared to the legendary Mike Tyson by UFC president Dana White. Nchukwi is on a phenomenal rise. This Saturday, the middleweight prospect will aim to further his unbeaten streak to 6-0.
'Da Don' made his MMA debut in 2019. His debut fight ended in round two, where he won via KO. Tafon Nchukwi's next couple of fights were round one KOs in his favor, marking quite an impressive start to his career.
Nchukwi shifted down to middleweight from light heavyweight before making an appearance inside the UFC Octagon. He then made his move to join the UFC when he appeared on Dana White's Contender Series in September 2020. Keeping up his streak of highlight-reel finishes, Tafon Nchukwi knocked his opponent out with a devastating head kick.
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After the fight, UFC President Dana White stated that Tafon Nchukwi reminded him of one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Iron Mike Tyson.
In a recent interview with John Hyon Ko for Sportskeeda, Nchukwi expressed how Dana White's comment fueled him to work harder. Nchukwi said:
"That was the best thing ever, man. Like, dang. Because after that comment, man, everybody was hitting me up, telling me, 'Man, you see this? I just saw the article they wrote about you.' I was like, wow. And that was a very inspiring thing for him [Dana White] to say about me, and definitely a boost to my goals to be, to meet what he sees in me. It definitely ignites some more fuel in me, [ensure] that I get to the top. I can't slack at all."
Watch the full interview with Tafon Nchukwi here:
Tafon Nchukwi shares his thoughts about his upcoming opponent
Tafon Nchukwi will face Park Jun-Yong at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Dillashaw. On being asked what he thought of his opponent, Nchukwi acknowledged Park Jun-Yong's grappling prowess, ground game and stand-up as impressive. Nchukwi said:
"Overall thoughts? I know he is definitely someone who's got some stand-up. He also has some grappling. And it seems like he has recently been working more on his grappling, from his last two fights, at least what I've seen. Yeah, he is pretty strong on the ground. So, I've definitely been working a lot on making sure I'm not vulnerable in any of those spots. Definitely not gonna underestimate any of my opponents. As I always say man, anybody who stands in front of me, they're gonna get a hundred percent of me. He [Park Jun-Yong] is gonna get a hundred percent of me."
Do you think Tafon Nchukwi will be able to maintain his undefeated fight record? Let us know in the comments section!