Sodiq Yusuff: Weaponizing Strategy, Execution

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 246 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Sodiq Yusuff has established himself as a featherweight to watch in just 11 professional appearances. He will get an opportunity to climb another rung on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s 145-pound ladder when he faces Andre Fili at UFC 246 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

During a seven-year run in the UFC, Fili has carved out a solid resume for himself. He has competed against a number of high-profile fighters, from Max Holloway, Dennis Bermudez and Yair Rodriguez to Calvin Kattar, Hacran Dias and Sheymon Moraes, compiling a 3-3 mark in those bouts. Considering Fili’s level of experience, “Super Sodiq” does not figure to offer the Californian something new. The 26-year-old Yusuff believes strategy and execution often determine who wins and loses inside the Octagon.

“I don’t think I’m going to bring anything he hasn’t seen,” Yusuff said. “He’s been [in the UFC] a long time, and most of the things I’m going to bring, he’s seen them before. My coaches always say, ‘It’s one thing to know what someone’s going to do. It’s a whole other thing to stop them from doing it.’ I’m a 100-percent execution guy. You’ve got to show up [on] game day. As long as you show up on game day, that’s all that really matters.”

In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Yusuff discusses his forthcoming challenge, his knockout of Gabriel Benitez in August and where he thinks a win over Fili could put him in the featherweight pecking order. In addition, he addresses his family gaining United States citizenship, adapting to media responsibilities with his star on the rise and the MMA dreams he holds outside the cage.