Sodik Yusaf will accept Diego Lopez Heading into qualifying for the historic UFC 300 card! Also known as “Super Sodiku”, he is currently ranked 13th in the UFC featherweight division. Coming into this fight, Yousaf will be looking to bounce back from his loss to Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night: Yousaf vs. Barboza in October 2023.
He gave a “Fight of the Night”-worthy performance, but ultimately lost the bout by unanimous decision. Now, as he gears up to get back to his winning ways against Lopez, let's take a look at everything we know about his gym, teammates, and his coaches. Lloyd Irvin.
Sodiq Yousaf's Gym, Teammates, and MMA Journey
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Sodiq Yousaf was born on May 19th., born in 1993 in Lagos, Nigeria. In his past interviews, he stated that his love of anime in his youth led to his fascination with martial arts and ultimately helped him find his way into MMA.Actually, when Akira ToriyamaYusaf, the creator of the Dragon Ball series, passed away in March, but he shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram, saying:Rest in peace to the legend. ”
The Nigerian fighter came to the UFC via Dana White's Contender Series 14 and made his promotional debut against the UFC in 2018. Suman Mokhtarian. According to information available on Tapology, Yousaf trains with Team Lloyd Irvin, based in Camp Springs, Maryland.
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Gym teammates include names such as james vic, mike easton, shelton graves Sam Kilmer and timothy woodsamong others.
Yousaf has notable wins in the UFC against names such as: Andre Fili, Gabriel Benitez and Alex Caceres. Although he didn't come away victorious in his last match against veteran Edson Barboza, he made some honest comments on his YouTube channel after the loss.
he said, “It hurts so much right now, but I know I'll get through it at the end of the day…For now, I have to eat 'L'.” But I'm going to do it with my chin up and continue to be a good nail until I finally become a hammer again. ”
Yusaf's dedication and resilience are a testament to his fighting spirit as he prepares to step into the Octagon once again at UFC 300.
Yusaf's coach Lloyd Irvin and his controversial past
Sodiq Yusaf's coach was Lloyd Irvin, founder of Team Lloyd Irvin, famous for being the first non-Brazilian team to win a world team title in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In the past, there have been notable names such as: mike fowler and ryan hallalso attended the academy.
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However, in January 2013, Irvin faced controversy when serious charges were leveled against two of his students. Following this information, some reports highlighted allegations of questionable conduct by Irvin's former students.
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A Miami New Times report by Jake Rossen, published in late 2013, further delves into the murky circumstances surrounding Irvin and his gym. As a result of the controversy, the Team Alliance was formed, which included notable names such as: Brandon Vera and Dominic Cruz Cut ties with TLI (Team Lloyd Irvin).