4. Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes
A fight which is flying way too far under the radar on UFC 300’s prelims is Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes. Lopes has captivated fans in the past year since his UFC entrance surprised everyone when he pushed undefeated, highly-ranked featherweight contender Movsar Evloev to the limit in the ‘Fight of the Night’ at UFC 288. Though he lost that fight, Diego’s aggression in all phases, surprising striking acumen, and near-submission finishes earned the adoration of fans. Since then, Lopes submitted Gavin Tucker with a flying-triangle armbar that earned him ‘Submission of the Year’ honors last year and then showed again that he is not just a BJJ fighter when he put Pat Sabatini out cold with punches in November.
His opponent, thirteenth-ranked featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff, stands in stark contrast with striking being his specialty. ‘Super’ Sodiq is also coming off a ‘Fight of the Night’ recently as he nearly knocked out veteran striker Edson Barboza in the first round in October. Though he lost steam and the fight, that bout was still one of the best wars of 2023. With three UFC finishes, that one FOTN, and one of the best fights in ‘Dana White’s Contender Series’ history against Mike Davis, Yusuff has long been one of the more underappreciated fighters at featherweight.
The finishing threat of Lopes is always present, but it may be tough for him to get the fight to the ground in this one. Further, his wild aggression may play against him here against a sharp, intelligent, fundamentally sound striker like Sodiq. If Diego can come out on top and move into the rankings, he will truly be a contender to watch out for to make a splash at featherweight.
Fight Rating: 9/10
