Njokuani Stops Zaleski dos Santos at UFC Vegas 104
Chidi Njokuani stopped Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 254 welterweight bout on March 15, 2025. The finish came at 2:19 of round two, after Njokuani landed a knee and follow-up elbows. The UFC’s official event recap records the TKO and the sequence that ended the fight.
The matchup was originally listed at welterweight, but Njokuani weighed 172.25 pounds and the bout proceeded at a catchweight. The official Nevada commission results record the weight and the outcome, providing the regulatory result alongside the UFC recap. That detail matters because a catchweight bout is not the same as a standard 170-pound contest, even when both athletes compete near the division limit.
Njokuani’s finish came after a competitive opening round. The fight remained standing for much of the exchange before the decisive knee created an opening for follow-up strikes. Zaleski dos Santos had built a reputation as a durable, experienced opponent, but the referee stepped in once the elbows left him unable to defend himself intelligently. A technical knockout is the official result when the referee stops the action due to unanswered strikes; it is distinct from a knockout caused by a single strike rendering a fighter unconscious.
The victory extended Njokuani’s run of wins and gave him another notable finish in the UFC welterweight division. He is a veteran striker with experience across multiple promotions, and this result showed how a knee can change a bout quickly when an opponent is advancing or caught at close range. It also followed a broader event pattern: UFC Fight Night 254 produced several stoppages on the preliminary card and main card.
The bout was part of a card headlined by Roman Dolidze and Marvin Vettori at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Dolidze won the five-round main event by unanimous decision, while Njokuani’s finish made the co-main event one of the evening’s sharper action moments. The UFC’s event page preserves the full lineup and post-fight coverage.
For Zaleski dos Santos, the loss ended the night with a referee stoppage rather than a decision, leaving little room for scorecard debate. For Njokuani, the key result is concise: a second-round TKO at 2:19, finished with a knee and elbows. The official result and commission record are the reliable basis for evaluating the win, rather than generic claims that the fight unfolded as a dominant performance from the opening bell.
