Sodiq Yusuff
Nigerian and American mixed martial artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sodiq Olamide Yusuff[3] (born May 19, 1993) is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
| Sodiq Yusuff | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sodiq Olamide Yusuff May 19, 1993 Lagos, Nigeria[1] |
| Other names | Super |
| Nationality | Nigerian American[2] |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
| Division | Featherweight Lightweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Fighting out of | Bladensburg, Maryland, U.S. |
| Team | Team Lloyd Irvin |
| Rank | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Lloyd Irvin[1] |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 18 |
| Wins | 13 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
Being born in Lagos, Nigeria, his father is from Ibadan while his mother was born in Lagos. He grew up in a polygamist community, with his father having four wives, and the four of them lived together as a unit. Yusuff claims he is one of 16 children in the family, with four siblings with his birth mother. When he was nine years old, his mother took him and his younger brother to the United States. His extended family has never visited the United States and is still living in Nigeria, having a hard time getting visas.[4]
Yusuff attributed his fascination in battle during his formative years to anime, which led to his MMA career.[5]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
At Shogun Fights 14, where he made his MMA debut, he defeated Alvin Mercer by second-round TKO. Yusuff won against his next three opponents, including Chuka Willis and John Ramirez. Then, in round one of CFFC 66, he eliminated Vladim Ogar. At Titan FC 47, he competed against Luis Gomez for the Featherweight Championship and was defeated in the opening frame. At Brave CF 10, Yusuff won his lone fight with Brave Combat Federation by first-round TKO over Ireland's Dylan Tuke.[6]
Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series
Yusuff appeared on Dana White's Contender Series 14 on July 24, 2018, facing Mike Davis.[7] He won the fight via unanimous decision. With this win, Yusuff was awarded a contract by the UFC.[8]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Yusuff made his UFC debut on December 2, 2018 at UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa against Suman Mokhtarian.[9] He won the fight via technical knockout in round one.[10] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[11]
Yusuff's second fight came on March 30, 2019 at Philadelphia, facing Sheymon Moraes, at UFC on ESPN 2.[12] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[13]
Yusuff faced Gabriel Benítez on August 17, 2019 at UFC 241.[14] He won the fight via knockout in round one.[15]
Yusuff faced Andre Fili on January 18, 2020 at UFC 246.[16] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[17]
Yusuff was expected to face Edson Barboza on October 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179.[18] However, Yusuff pulled out of the fight on September 22 for undisclosed reasons.[19]
Yusuff faced Arnold Allen on April 10, 2021 at UFC on ABC 2.[20] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[21]
Yusuff faced Alex Caceres on March 12, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 203.[22] Utilizing leg kicks throughout the bout, Yusuff won the bout via unanimous decision.[23]
Yusuff was scheduled to face Giga Chikadze on September 17, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 210.[24] However, the week before the event, Chikadze withdrew for due to injury and the bout was cancelled.[25]
Yusuff faced Don Shainis on October 1, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 211.[25] He submitted Shainis via guillotine choke 30 seconds into the bout.[26]
After a year-long layoff, Yusuff fought Edson Barboza on October 14, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 230.[27] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[28] This fight earned his Fight of the Night award.[29]
Yusuff faced Diego Lopes on April 12. 2024 at UFC 300.[30] After being knocked down twice, Yusuff lost by technical knockout in the second minute of the first round.[31]
Yusuff faced Mairon Santos in a lightweight bout on May 17, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 256.[32] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[33]
Personal life
Yusuff became a U.S. citizen during the training camp for his fight at UFC 246 against Andre Fili.[2]
Championships and achievements
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Suman Mokhtarian[11]
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Edson Barboza[29]
- UFC.com Awards
- 2018: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year (Tied with Petr Yan)[34]
- 2023: Ranked #8 Fight of the Year vs. Edson Barboza[35]
Mixed martial arts record
| 18 matches | 13 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 2 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 6 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 13–5 | Mairon Santos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales | May 17, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Loss | 13–4 | Diego Lopes | TKO (punches) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 1 | 1:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 13–3 | Edson Barboza | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. Barboza | October 14, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 13–2 | Don Shainis | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan | October 1, 2022 | 1 | 0:30 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Alex Caceres | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev | March 12, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 11–2 | Arnold Allen | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland | April 10, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 11–1 | Andre Fili | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 246 | January 18, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Gabriel Benítez | TKO (punches) | UFC 241 | August 17, 2019 | 1 | 4:14 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 9–1 | Sheymon Moraes | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje | March 30, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 8–1 | Suman Mokhtarian | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa | December 2, 2018 | 1 | 2:14 | Adelaide, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 7–1 | Mike Davis | Decision (unanimous) | Dana White's Contender Series 14 | July 24, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Dylan Tuke | TKO (punches) | Brave CF 10 | March 2, 2018 | 1 | 0:46 | Amman, Jordan | |
| Loss | 5–1 | Luis Gomez | KO (punches) | Titan FC 47 | December 15, 2017 | 1 | 4:12 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | For the Titan FC Featherweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Vadim Ogar | KO (punch) | Cage Fury FC 66 | August 5, 2017 | 1 | 0:30 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Return to Featherweight. |
| Win | 4–0 | Chuka Willis | Decision (unanimous) | Victory FC 56 | April 14, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Devin Turner | TKO (punches) | Victory FC 54 | September 12, 2016 | 2 | 2:25 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | John Ramirez | Decision (unanimous) | Victory FC 52 | July 16, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | Lightweight debut. |
| Win | 1–0 | Alvin Mercer | TKO (punches) | Shogun Fights 14 | April 16, 2016 | 2 | 0:22 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Featherweight debut. |