Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza Prediction: Like a Shooting Star - Bright but Won't Last

American Sodiq Yusuff and Brazilian Edson Barboza will greet each other in the Octagon in the early hours of October 15th. Their bout will headline the UFC Vegas 81 event in the welterweight division. Sodiq Yusuff is ranked eleventh in the division, while Edson Barboza is thirteenth.

Sodiq Yusuff got the right to headline for the first time, and it must be said that he has earned it. Sodiq goes about his business in silence. He's not exactly popular, but out of the last nine bouts, Yusuff has failed just one - to undisputed top fighter Arnold Allen by judges' decision. He's currently riding a two-fight winning streak. In his previous meeting, he choked out Don Shainis within the first thirty seconds.

We used to admire Barboza's punching technique, but it changed since 2017. In eleven fights, he's only won four times. Still, experience is the key to success, and it is vast, having fought just about the best in the two divisions, including Khabib, Gaethje, Ferguson, and Cerrone.

Two tough punchers who don't like wrestling will meet in the cage. That said, their fists weigh like a sledgehammer, and both don't move very well. So we think one of them will knock the other out sooner or later. And the victim will most likely be Edson Barboza - he may not even last all five rounds as his cardio often fails. Also, knocking out Yusuff is a challenge. For example, Allen couldn't do it, even though he was hitting pretty hard.