UFC 300 Fight Card Preview: Sodiq Yusuff Vs. Diego Lopes

Diego Lopes fulfills Sodiq Yusuff on the UFC 300 battle card prelims. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC … [+] by means of Getty Images)

Zuffa LLC by means of Getty Images

With the UFC 300 card occurring at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13, we are taking a look at each battle the UFC has actually scheduled for the historical occasion. Today’s focus is on the very first battle of the ESPN prelims, a fight in between the top-15 ranked Sodiq Yusuff and the fast-rising Diego Lopes. That battle occurs in the featherweight department.

UFC 300 happens at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13. The stacked card includes 2 UFC title battles and a BMF title bout on the ESPN+ pay-per-view part of the occasion.

Professions

Sodiq Yusuff

Sodiq Yusuff (13-3) signed up with the UFC in 2018 with a 7-1 record. He opened his run with the promo by going unbeaten in 4 battles. His 2020 choice win over Andre Fili introduced Yusuff into the main UFC featherweight rankings at No. 11. That win likewise made him a chance at the No. 10 ranked Arnold Allen. Allen won that scrap by consentaneous choice (29-28 x 3). The loss did not knock Yusuff out of the rankings, and he rebounded from that defeat by getting a choice win over Alex Caceres and a submission triumph over Don Shainis.

In 2023, Yusuff and Edson Barboza fought in the primary occasion of a UFC Fight Night card at the UFC Apex. Yusuff, who was ranked No. 11 in the 145-pound weight class, went into the contest as a -170 wagering preferred over his veteran challenger, who can be found in at +140. The battle made each guy a $50,0000 “Fight of the Night” bonus offer, however it was Barboza who had his hand raised at the end of the five-round fight with a consentaneous choice success.

The 30-year-old Yusuff has a 6-2 UFC record. Throughout his profession, he has actually won 6 battles by knockout, one by submission, and 6 by choice. His losses have actually come over knockout (one) and choice (2).

Diego Lopes

Diego Lopes was 19-3 when he combated on the Dana White Contender Series in 2021. He lost that battle through technical choice and battled on a Fury FC battle card 2 months later on. Lopes likewise fell brief in that contest, dropping a split choice. He rebounded in 2022 with back-to-back knockout wins.

The UFC then got the phone and provided Lopes a short-notice chance to change Bryce Mitchell in a May 2023 match versus previous M-1 Global bantamweight titleholder Movsar Evloev, who was 6-0 in the UFC at the time. Evloev, who is now the No. 5 fighter at featherweight and 18-0 in his profession, beat Lopes by choice.

Lopes recovered from that loss in a huge method. He is presently on a two-fight winning streak with a submission win over Gavin Tucker and a November 2023 knockout accomplishment over Pat Sabatini.

The 29-year-old Lopes is 2-1 in the UFC. Throughout his MMA profession, Lopes has actually gotten 9 KO wins, 12 submission triumphes, and 2 choice nods. His profession losses have actually come over knockout (2) and choice (4).

UFC 300 Betting Odds for Yusuff vs. Lopes

Lopes opened as a -180 wagering preferred in early March, however since this composing he is presently at -133 with the majority of the motion can be found in the previous couple of days. When it comes to Yusuff, he opened as a +140 wagering underdog, and presently sits at +104.

Considerable Stats

Yusuff is aggressive in his striking, with approximately 5.72 substantial strikes landed per minute. His precision is 49 percent. When it comes to defense, Yusuff takes in 4.33 considerable strikes per minute with a defense of 54 percent. He averages 0.28 takedowns per 15 minutes and is successful on 20 percent of his takedown efforts. Yusuff has a takedown defense of 62 percent, and he gets 0.4 submissions per 15 minutes of UFC cage time.

Lopes is less active than his UFC 300 challenger in his striking, landing 2.47 considerable strikes per minute. He is more precise than Yusuff at 53 percent. Lopes soaks up a fairly high 4.91 considerable strikes per minute, with a 37 percent defense. Lopes has actually not landed a UFC takedown, however his takedown defense is 42 percent, and his submission rate per 15 minutes is 5.3.

What to Expect

The UFC and its fans are unpredictable, and the matchmaking in this bout seems like the winner will grow and much better chances. At the exact same time, the loser will fall in the featherweight chain of command and might end up being a professional athlete who gets compared versus the next batch of up-and-coming 145-pound rivals.

UFC CEO Dana White anticipates UFC 300 to break “every record at the T-Mobile Arena.”