ANAHEIM, Calif. – Sodiq Yusuff beat Gabriel Benitez with a first-round TKO Saturday on the main card at UFC 241 in Anaheim, Calif.
Take a look inside the fight with Yusuff, who survived some early success from Benitez to get back to pick up his second UFC knockout.
Result: Sodiq Yusuff def. Gabriel Benitez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:14
Updated records: Yusuff (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Benitez (21-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Key stat: Yusuff won for the fifth straight time and now has six of his 10 wins by knockout or TKO.
Yusuff on the fight’s key moment
“He never dropped me. He wobbled me a little bit, but you see my legs – I’m built like a race horse. They kept me up. Nigerians are built for struggle. I’m ready for everything. (Dana White’s) Contenders Series was the perfect job audition for me to get ready for the big show.”
Yusuff on where he stands at featherweight
“Everyone saw how I performed tonight. They will let the UFC know where I fit into this division. The way I fight is so fan friendly, there’s not much I have to say. I’m not a talkative dude, but I’m friendly. I’m happy to ride the wave right now.”
Yusuff on what he wants next
“The only thing that I will ask for is that I have to be on that December card in Washington, D.C., where I’m from – that’s my second home. The last time UFC was there, I was too poor to afford tickets. I was a little kid. It’s going to be a great story for me to fight on that card. I’ll take whoever they give me. Until I see a title shot in my future, I won’t worry about my opponents.”
To hear more from Yusuff, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
