An injury to kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki has opened the door for Romanian light heavyweight Nick Negumereanu to make his promotional debut at UFC London.
The UFC is coming to England for UFC London on March 16. The card is headlined by Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till along with many rising up-and-comers. Saparbek Safarov vs. Gökhan Saki was set to go down for this event. Unfortunately, Saki had to pull out due to injury. The UFC would sign Nick Negumereanu to step up and take this fight, first reported by Nolan King of FloCombat.
Nick “Nicu” Negumereanu
6’1″
Light Heavyweight
24-years-old
Brassó, Romania
CSS Dinamo Brașov
9-0
6 KO/TKO
3 Submissions (2 Armbars, Bravo choke)
How Does Nick Negumereanu Fare in the UFC:
Nick Negumereanu is only 24-years-old so he still has a lot of time to grow as a fighter. Nicu has only fought bad competition as his opponents have a combined record of 37-81. On the feet, Nicu is raw, and while he has shown power in his hands, he still has a lot to prove. He is willing to exchange and he tends to leave his chin on a center line. He’s quick and athletic but he doesn’t do a great job at cutting off his opponent. He’s done a nice job with it this far but that’s at a low-tier level. He’s a very strong wrestler who will lock his arms around you and put you on your back. His suplexes are nice and so are his judo throws he has hit a few times. On the mat, top position is where he wants to be. Nicu can end the fight with his heavy ground and pound, which is his best weapon. Nicu also has slick jiu-jitsu for a big dude. Overall, it will be interesting to see how he competes at a high level. With that said he has potential but I’m expecting a slow process.
How he Matches Up with Saparbek Safarov:
Safarov is a wild striker throwing big wild punches, chasing his opponent down with zero technique. He does have decent wrestling but the entrances to his takedowns are not set up well. Safarov has shown when he gets hit he starts to panic and tries to grab his opponent, leaving himself open with no defense. This fight should really be a showcase of Nicu as he should have the advantage everywhere.
