January 18, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Sodiq Yusuff moves in with a hit against Andre Fili during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Yankees broadcaster obliterated Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after NY clinched division
If Sodiq Yusuff is going to be the top prospect some call him, he will have to put on a show at UFC Vegas 61.
UFC Vegas 61 may be closed to the media and the public, but there’s still a lot of valuable competition set for the card. Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan are poised for a major fight in the strawweight division, but they are not the only contest to keep an eye on. Sodiq Yusuff is poised to return to the featherweight division and as he pushes to move up the rankings ladder, he is the fighter to watch on this card.
Yusuff steps back into the Octagon to Don Shainis in what will be his second appearance in 2022. Yusuff last competed back in March where he defeated Alex Caceres via unanimous decision. Before that, he competed only once in 2021 and 2020, limiting his exposure to the fight community. Yet, he still sits ranked in the division, currently holding the twelfth spot.
Since joining the UFC in 2018 via Dana White’s Contender Series, Yusuff has put together a 7-1 record in the promotion. That run includes wins over names like Andre Fili, Sheymon Moraes, Mike Davis, and more. His lone loss was against Arnold Allen in April of 2021.
Sodiq Yusuff welcomes Don Shainis to the UFC
Yusuff has long been considered a prospect to watch and he’s shown flashes of those abilities but hasn’t broken through like many expected by this time. If he’s to do so, he will have to pick up this win against Shainis, and perhaps do so in a highlight-reel fashion. Shainis is a Cage Titans champion and making his debut for the company.