UFC Fight Night 142: Dos Santos vs. Tuivasa - Predictions and Picks

#4 Suman Mokhtarian vs. Sodiq Yusuff

Nigerian prospect Sodiq Yusuff makes his full UFC debut on Saturday

A battle of UFC newcomers, this Featherweight clash sees TUF veteran Mokhtarian – brother of UFC veteran Ashkan – taking on Nigerian import Yusuff, who is coming off a win on Dana White’s Contender Series this summer. Interestingly enough, prior to his appearance on that show, Yusuff last fought in India’s Brave CF promotion.

Judging on the available footage, raw athleticism seems to be Yusuff’s greatest tool. He’s fast, explosive, carries heavy power in his hands and has enough of a decent wrestling base not to get swamped in a grappling match. He’s clearly very raw as his professional debut came in April 2016, but he’s also got clear potential.

Mokhtarian is a tricky fighter to get a handle on. He didn’t show a lot during his TUF stint as he was eliminated from the Season 27 tournament by Ricky Steele, and while he’s officially unbeaten at 8-0 and his highlight reel makes him look absolutely phenomenal, he’s only fought questionable opposition – of his 7 victims, 4 of them have only ever fought once, against Mokhtarian, and another has two fights to his name – both against Mokhtarian.

Given the unproven nature of both men this could probably go either way, but I’m favouring the more straightforward skills of Yusuff rather than the wild striking and flashy submissions of the Aussie. Expect Mokhtarian to come out swinging – and go out on his shield early on.

The Pick: Yusuff via first round KO