The Big Bang: Horodecki, Njokuani Collide

By Frank Curreri

There was a time, just two years ago, when Canadian scribes were comparing Chris Horodecki to fellow countrymen Sidney Crosby, the NHL wunderkind, former league MVP, and eventual Stanley Cup champion.

One of Horodecki’s big-name trainers, Shawn Tompkins, even publicly proclaimed that his 11-0 prodigy could someday become the best mixed martial artist in the world.

That was 2007. Two years later, 22-year-old Horodecki’s road to greatness is a bit foggier. “The Polish Hammer” is no longer unbeaten. He has fought only once in the past 19 months, prompting obvious inquiries about ring rust. And the 155-pound Canadian phenom, formerly the baby-faced poster boy for the now-defunct International Fight League, is now signed with his fourth organization in less than two years.

But on the cusp of his highly-anticipated WEC debut, in characteristic Horodecki fashion, he doesn’t seem the least bit fazed to be facing lightning-quick striker Anthony Njokuani (11-2) on the WEC 45 main card.

“With this guy, there’s nothing to worry about,” Horodecki said. “We can stand up and bang, no problem. With the proper game plan I’ll beat him in the standup … I can beat him anywhere.”

Like his fast-rising foe this Saturday, Horodecki (13-1) has made a name for himself by outclassing and annihilating opponents in the striking realm. Yet Njokuani, while thrilled to be fighting someone with abundant potential and a well-exposed persona, believes Horodecki is bluffing by claiming that he intends to decide matters on their feet.

“From the looks of it he’s going to be one of those guys that is going to want to take me down,” said Njokuani, who, like Horodecki, has won six of his bouts by TKO. “I’m slicker than he is. My head and foot movement are 10 times better than his. My standup is superior to his. I have a big reach advantage over him. I watched a couple of his fights in the IFL and he was a great striker, but I don’t feel that he will bring anything that I haven’t seen. I’m just ready to do this with him.”

This is one of those ‘don’t blink’ matchups, where there is so much firepower in the cage and one shot can end it. The fighters have one common opponent, Bart Palaszewski, a veteran who personifies the I-will-fight-anybody ethos that fans most respect. In the past seven years, spanning more than 40 fights (excluding his professional debut), only one man has finished “Bartimus” with punches: Njokuani. It was a decidedly one-sided demolition. Meanwhile, Palaszewski’s sturdy chin survived heated slugfests with Horodecki, who beat the Chicagoan twice by split decision.

Horodecki, who was born in Poland and has been training mixed martial arts since age 13, turned pro at 18. Despite being a high-profile “name” fighter because of his days on television with the IFL, Horodecki does not feel like he will have a “bulls eye” on his back coming into a new organization.

“Not necessarily. I’m the fresh face here,” he said. “They’ve got their champions and they have targets on them. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves but there is no pressure right now. Every fighter in the WEC is skilled and everyone is good. There are no easy fights. So I just have to get prepared and ready to go to battle.”

When two high-level wrestlers collide, a standup battle often ensues. And in this case, with two strikers, a ground war could determine the outcome. It is the biggest ‘X’ factor in this bout, and Horodecki’s camp believes he will have a significant edge on the canvas, and point to his June win over William Syriyapai by rear naked choke as proof.

“Chris has an excellent ground game,” said Keebo Robinson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has worked with Horodecki, Vitor Belfort, Sam Stout and Mark Hominick, among others. “His ground game is underestimated because he never really gets into that situation; a lot of his fights are won in the standup, by TKO or knockout. No one has seen his fights go the ground except for the (2007) Grand Prix of the IFL, where he got TKO’d on the ground by Ryan Schultz, so that’s all people remember about his ground game. If he gets taken down he’s really good at getting right back up. But he’s very comfortable off his back and he’s got great defense on the ground, and if he gets you on your back you’re probably going to pay for it.”

Coincidentally, Robinson earned his black belt under renowned jiu-jitsu legend Sergio Penha – who happens to be Njokuani’s mentor on the mat. Njokuani said he has been focusing heavily on his jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills and is confident anyone watching tapes of his earlier submission losses to Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone is wasting their time.

That was the old me,” he said. “You can watch all of the old videos you want but this is a different Anthony now. When I started got into the WEC cage I allowed the pressure to get to me, I felt like I was lost. But now I feel very comfortable in the cage. It’s not new to me anymore and I feel that the WEC is my home. This is the type of fight that I’ve been looking for. This is a matchup that gets me excited. I can’t wait to fight Chris. When I win this one it will put me at the level that I’ve been waiting for.”