Preview: UFC Fight Night 142 ‘Dos Santos vs. Tuivasa’
Mokhtarian vs. Yusuff
Bantamweights
Suman Mokhtarian (8-0) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (7-1)Advertisement
African-born fighters have slowly been making more of an impact in the Octagon, and Yusuff is the latest in that line. The Nigerian-born Maryland export has been on the prospect radar for a while but finally earned a UFC contract after an impressive decision win over Mike Davis on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He fits right into the typical DWTNCS mold as a raw, highly athletic fighter, but Yusuff is one of the better ones. His athleticism is top-flight; his wrestling is enough to get by; and despite Davis lasting three rounds with him, Yusuff possesses some vicious knockout power. For his first proper UFC bout, Yusuff heads to enemy territory, as he faces “The Ultimate Fighter 27” alum and Sydney native Mokhtarian.
Suman is clearly the better of the Mokhatarian brothers, and despite not getting far on his season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” there are some things to like about him. There is at least a clearly defined pressure style, though it is unclear how well it will translate up a level. He is hittable and a bit of a wild power puncher on the feet, and while Mokhtarian’s record is littered with impressive submission wins, they are of the low-percentage variety, which makes you wonder a lot more about his competition. Nevertheless, there is still something there, and if the UFC decides that Mokhtarian’s following and ability to promote himself is worth keeping around, there is a chance he could develop into a cult favorite.
This looks like an easy win for Yusuff, to the point where the main question is going to be how well Mokhtarian’s durability holds up. Mokhtarian looks like he will wade in and be there to be hit, and among Yusuff’s skill set is the ability to hit. If Mokhtarian can withstand the beating, he is aggressive enough that this could turn into a really fun fight -- even if the result is still one-sided -- but the pick is Yusuff via first-round knockout.
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