Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980)[5] is an American-born English retired mixed martial artist who competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

[6] His family has links to the Nigerian chieftaincy system; his grandfather was the medical pioneer Sir Samuel Manuwa, who was a chief, and his great-great-grandfather was Oba Kuheyin, a king of Itebu-Manuwa.

[9] Manuwa began training in mixed martial arts in 2007, following a weight lifting injury where he ruptured a chest muscle.

[10] He was then offered to fight at the UFC 138 event, but also refused that one, citing that he hadn't competed since summer of 2010, and that "If he fought on the October card that would have been after a fifteen-month layoff, which is not ideal under any circumstances.

You do need to be fighting regularly to stay sharp..."[11] He successfully defended his title for the fifth time at UCMMA 24: Hands of War, against Nick Chapman.

For his second fight with the promotion, Manuwa faced Cyrille Diabaté on 16 February 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald.

Manuwa was declared the winner (TKO) after Diabaté was unable to continue after tearing a calf muscle near the end of the first round.

[22] However, on 29 October, it was announced that Manuwa had pulled out of the fight due to an injury, and that Ovince St. Preux would replace him against Rua.

[33] However, the pairing was scrapped and Manuwa eventually faced Corey Anderson on 18 March 2017 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 107.

[34] Manuwa won the fight via knockout in the first round, after briefly dropping Anderson with a jab and then finishing him with a single left hook.

[43] In turn, Manuwa was removed from the fight during the week leading up to the event due to a torn hamstring and replaced by Eryk Anders.

[49] Manuwa's parents are Nigerian however he was born in California and spent his early years in Nigeria before settling in London at the age of 10.