Sodiq Yusuff vs Mairon Santos: Predictions, Analysis, and Breakdown

The UFC Fight Night has an interesting bout in the featherweight division. This bout is between Sodiq Yusuff and Mairon Santos, which is set as a Main Card fight, the 10th of 12 fights scheduled to be held on that night. The weight class for this fight is 155 lbs (70.3 kg).

Considering the last five matches, Sodiq Yusuff has suffered from back-to-back losses, while Mairon Santos is on a three-match straight bout win. Here’s a quick breakdown—and who could be the smarter bet?

Fighters’ Profiles and Strength

Sodiq Yusuff – LLWWL

Sodiq Yusuff has a professional MMA record of 13 wins and 4 losses. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now fights out of New Carrollton, Maryland. His nickname is “Super.” Right now, he is on a two-fight losing streak.

In the global MMA rankings, he is ranked 24th among featherweight fighters. Over 17 professional fights, he has 6 wins and 2 losses by Technical Knockout (TKO). He also has 1 win by submission and 6 wins and 2 losses by decision.

In 2018, he fought in Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) and won by decision. That same year, he joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He quickly won his first four UFC fights.

So far in the UFC, Yusuff has 6 wins and 3 losses. His latest fight was against Diego Lopes on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300. He lost that fight by TKO due to an uppercut and ground strikes in the first round.

Before that, he lost to Edson Barbosa by unanimous decision. On October 1, 2022, Yusuff beat Don Shainis with a guillotine choke submission. However, his scheduled fight with Giga Chikadze on September 17, 2022, was canceled because Giga withdrew.

Earlier, on March 12, 2022, he won against Alex Caceres by unanimous decision. He lost to Arnold Allen by unanimous decision on the UFC on ABC 2 card. In 2020, Yusuff beat Andre Fili but then lost to Arnold Allen in 2021.

After that loss, he came back strong with wins over Alex Caceres and Don Shainis in 2022. In 2023, he fought Edson Barboza in an exciting match but ended up losing.

Sadly, Yusuff has missed winning his two biggest fights. This is a challenge for him, especially since he wants to fight for the championship but does not compete very often.

Mairon Santos – WWWLW

Mairon Santos has a professional record of 15 wins and 1 loss. He is 25 years old. In his last fight, he won against Francis Marshall by split decision. Before that, about a year ago, he knocked out Kaan Ofli with a left hook and ground strike. That win was part of a six-fight winning streak.

His wins include fights against Guillermo Torres (unanimous decision), Edwin Cooper Jr (split decision), Rafael Barbosa (unanimous decision), and Jason Wong (rear-naked choke submission). People often call him the “Legend.”

In the worldwide MMA rankings, he is 62nd among featherweight fighters. Over his 16 professional fights, he has 8 wins by technical knockout and 7 by decision, with one loss by TKO.

Mairon has fought in several promotions. In 2022, he signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). There, he had one win and one loss. Two years later, he joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). So far, he has fought twice in the UFC and won both times — once by decision and once by knockout.

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On April 9, 2024, he beat Guillermo Torres by unanimous decision at “The Ultimate Fighter 32” event. On March 27, 2024, he won against Edwin Cooper Jr by split decision. However, his fight against Tariel Abbasov on September 21, 2023, was canceled before the event.

In February 2022, he lost to Dan Argueta by ground-and-pound TKO in the third round. When he was an amateur, he fought Leandro Zé Pequeno to a draw by decision.

What time is the fight?

The fight kicks off live on Saturday, 05.17.2025 at 04:00 PM ET

Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

How Can I Watch It?

If you’re interested, you can watch it on ESPN+ Pay-per-view.

Statistical Matchup

CATEGORY	SODIQ YUSUFF	MAIRON SANTOS
AGE	31	24
HEIGHT	5’9″	5’9″
REACH	71.0″	72.0″
PRO RECORD	13-4-0	15-1-0
FIGHTING OUT OF	New Carrollton, Maryland	Las Vegas, Nevada

Final Prediction

Fans can rest assured of an exciting and entertaining match-up from this UFC on ESPN+. Each fighter has a chance in this bout. Mairon Santos is one of my favorite fighters right now. He’s a strong featherweight, almost as big and physical as Yusuff. Sodiq Yusuff has a lot of brushing off to do to get the redemption he so desires, especially his defensive ability to take down opponents. He has enough time to prepare for this match. This is a proper matchup between a striker and a grappler. However, Yusuff has a powerful right punch, like the one he used against Edso. It’s going to be a difficult match for Santos. This bout will extend over the first round. I support Santos to get the win.

MAIRON SANTOS TO WIN

MAIRON SANTOS TO WIN BY DECISION

METHOD OF WINNING BY UNANIMOUS DECISION