Tafon Nchukwi had an intense return performance following the end of his UFC stint, getting into a back-and-forth brawl against Chris Daukaus in the main event of CFFC 134.
After a close matchup which saw both heavyweights get knocked down numerous times, Nchukwi was given a close decision result from the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.
The second and third rounds of the fight were hectic, coming after a slow opening frame where both fighters connected on the feet. Daukaus was the first to land a knockdown, connecting with a left hand that dropped Nchukwi early in the second round. Later in the round a quick-to-recover Nchukwi connected with a right hook that brought Daukaus to the canvas.
Daukaus seemingly dropped Nchukwi once again with a left hand later in the round, although he was able to recover and get back up to his feet before the clock expired.
The pace started to slow in the third round as cardio became a factor in the fight, but the hard shots didn’t stop. Nchukwi’s best round arguably was the last, as he was able to drop Daukaus with a clean right hook and avoid getting significantly hurt by any shots heading in his direction.
After both getting through a tough three rounds, Nchukwi got his hand raised with a unanimous decision result.
The victory is Nchukwi’s first since 2021, putting him back into the win column after a three-fight skid called an end to his UFC run last year. Friday was also his return to heavyweight following recent appearances at light heavyweight and middleweight.
Following his win, Nchukwi expressed interest in competing on a Muay Thai card hosted by CFFC.
“I know y’all got some Muay Thai cards going on,” he said. “My plan right now is to have as much fun with this as I can.”
The main event outcome from CFFC 134 continues a rough losing streak for Daukaus, now up to five fights in a row. The 34-year-old had a strong start to his UFC career, attaining a series of finish victories to build up his reputation in the promotion. However, after struggling against higher-ranked names like Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes, he suffered four consecutive finish losses.
Friday was a homecoming for both heavyweights, as they had appeared in CFFC prior to their UFC campaigns. Daukaus notably had a six-fight stint in the promotion from 2015 to 2019, scoring four victories.
Undefeated David Mgoyan scored a fifth pro win in the co-main event of the night, putting away CFFC vet Frank Wells in the second round. Here are the quick results from Friday’s card:
Main Card (8:30PM EDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 8: Tafon Nchukwi def. Chris Daukaus via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: David Mgoyan def. Frank Wells via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:18)
Bout 6: Xhelal Lleshi def. Jacob Romano via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:29)
Bout 5: Angel Alvarez def. Justin Montalvo via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Brandon Holmes def. Nick Galanti via Decision, Unanimous
Preliminary Card
Bout 3: Joe Soto def. Tyree Sutton via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Lateesha Mohl def. Sandra Chheng via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Bryce Layme def. Nick Gebhard via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 1:00)
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