Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza burnt the UFC Apex down last weekend, and as a result, both men took a trip to the hospital.
Barboza turned a tough first round into a five-round war, one where he outlasted Yussuff and won a unanimous decision (48-46 x2, 49-46). Two of the judges scored the first round 10-8 Yussuff, as he landed 43 strikes and a heavy knockdown early, and almost put the fight away in under less than a minute.
Both men earned well-deserved Fight of the Night honors for Saturday’s contest.
Sodiq Yusuff Sounds off on the Loss at UFC Vegas 81
“It hurts a lot right now, but I know at the end of the day I’m going to get past it,” Sodiq Yusuff said on YouTube. “I said it on the commentary after the fight: I was a good nail before I ever was a good hammer, and I’m not just saying that. I had a lot of bumps and bruises before I ever became that guy that you guys see fighting on the TV. So because of that, I know I’ll be back,” Yusuff said.
The Nigerian approached his loss with some perspective, as the video shows his opponent Barboza behind him.
“Everybody out there has a fight, has a struggle that’s going on. You guys just get to watch mine on TV. I dropped the ball today, but the struggle continues. That’s fighting. No matter what you guys are doing out there, I wish you the best in your struggle or your fight. I hope you guys come out on top. For now, I’ve got to eat my ‘L.’ But I’m going to do it with my chin up and continue to be a good nail until I’m eventually a hammer again.”
The 30-year-old Yusuff has won 8 of his last 10 fights, and had won two in a row before last Saturday. He is currently ranked 11th at 145 pounds, but that will likely change some because of his bout with Barboza.
Regardless, he is one to watch out for in the featherweight division for years to come, and his tenacity speaks to that.
Who would you like to see Sodiq Yusuff face when he returns? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
