Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza

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This upcoming Saturday, the UFC featherweight division will take the spotlight at UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza. The main attraction will be the showdown between Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza.

Yusuff, despite grappling with injuries and dealing with unforeseen changes in opponents, is making a comeback to the Octagon after a break of more than a year. On Saturday night, his goal is to continue his winning streak, which currently stands at two victories, and further enhance his remarkable 6-1 record since becoming part of the UFC.

Yusuff, who rose through Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS), boasts some significant wins in his career. However, despite these accomplishments, his progress in the rankings has been hampered by various setbacks.

Having not competed since his swift victory over Don Shainis more than a year ago, Yusuff has managed to maintain his position within the Top 15. He currently occupies the 11th spot as he readies himself for his comeback fight this Saturday.

Only after his eagerly anticipated battle with fellow ranked featherweight Giga Chikadze was postponed a week before their scheduled encounter did Yusuff enter the Octagon to face the newcomer Shainis. Yusuff and Chikadze were supposed to fight on September 22 of last year. Late in August, after he had just made a comeback, Chikadze fought Alex Caceres in the Octagon.

Shainis' bout with Yusuff was then organized as soon as possible. Shainis was easily defeated by Yusuff in just 30 seconds. But soon after that triumph, he was benched and hasn't played for the past 12 months.

With over 10 years of experience competing in the UFC's lightweight and featherweight divisions, Barboza has definitely established himself as a talented striker. He still poses a serious threat in the Octagon despite his advanced age.

Recently, he proved this by eliminating Billy Quarantillo in the second round to earn his second straight victory, thus solidifying his standing as a striker.

By defeating Barboza, the 30-year-old Nigerian, who has been hovering around the Top 10 for some time, stands to win a lot. Barboza is still very quick despite being close to 38 and should not be disregarded. Every time he enters the Octagon, this seasoned veteran is capable of putting up a tough fight against any member of the Top 15.

Sodiq Yusuff is excited to take on Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Sunday, but he wants to fight for the championship as soon as possible. The 30-year-old is confident that if he wins on the main card this weekend, he will be given the opportunity to compete for a title. The thought of a UFC event taking place in Africa would also be welcomed by the fighter, who was born in Nigeria.

Sodiq Yusuff is anticipating his "biggest opportunity so far" when he competes against Edson Barboza at featherweight in the UFC. In an effort to move closer to a title bout, the 30-year-old takes on the Brazilian at UFC bout Night in Las Vegas on Sunday. He also wants to adopt a more aggressive fighting style going forward.

Although he acknowledges that Arnold Allen was a greater opponent than him in the past, he claims that this is his most well-known bout to date. The news that Alexander Volkanovski would replace Charles Oliveira as the main event of UFC 294 on October 21 after Oliveira sustained an eye injury was also discussed by Yusuff. Volkanovski will face Islam Makhachev.

Recently, the main event fight between Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza for the forthcoming UFC Fight Night program was expanded to five rounds. Our UFC predictions expect Barboza to pull off the upset since Yusuff has never competed in a five-round match.The headlining matchup for UFC Fight Night betting on October 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza.

Barboza would certainly be the favorite in this race if it weren't for his advanced age. The last time we watched him fight, he knocked out Billy Quarantillo as a small +125 underdog, and he looked fantastic.

Giga Chikadze and Bryce Mitchell were his most recent opponents. He is just 3-5 in his previous eight fights, but two of those losses were by split decisions, another was against the best lightweight in the world, Justin Gaethje, at 155 pounds, and the other two losses were by tight split decisions.

Both of these fighters excel in grappling, but their primary strength lies in their striking abilities, making it likely that this match will remain a stand-up battle. Sodiq Yusuff is known for his impressive boxing skills and punching power, but he does have a vulnerability when exchanging blows in close quarters. On the other hand, Edson Barboza also possesses excellent hand techniques and is equally proficient in close combat. However, he holds a notable advantage in longer-range engagements due to his four-inch reach advantage and his exceptional kicking prowess.

Aside from his superior range skills, there are two other factors that make me lean towards Barboza. First is his overall health and cardio. Yusuff hasn't competed since last October due to a back injury that herniated two discs, sidelining him for six months. If this injury has impacted his athleticism in any way, it could be challenging for him to perform at his usual level.

Furthermore, this fight was recently elevated from a three-round bout to a five-round main event just a month ago. Yusuff has never prepared for a five-round fight before and has had difficulties maintaining a high pace even for 15 minutes in previous bouts. In contrast, while Barboza has only gone beyond three rounds once in his career, he has participated in several headline events, which means he has experience training for grueling 25-minute battles and knows how to manage his energy effectively.

Mitchell mauled Barboza on the ground with the help of his expert grappling, but Yusuff has the wrestling skills to take advantage of that weakness, and Chikadze outpunched Barboza at a distance with his superior kicking, which is another skill that Yusuff lacks.