Expert prediction
UFC Vegas 81 Preview: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Oct 14)
Pick rationale
Analysis & key factors
- Sodiq Yusuff (13-2) is a DWCS alumnus who’s 6-1 since joining the UFC in 2018.
- Edson Barboza (23-11) is a striking expert who’s been fighting in the UFC for nearly 13 years.
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza is the headliner fight of UFC Vegas 81 (a.k.a. UFC Fight Night 230), an event taking place at UFC Apex in Vegas on Saturday, October 14.
Yusuff is fighting his first main event fight this coming Saturday. He’s doing it against a real UFC veteran who’s made his debut in Dana White’s promotion back in 2010.
The man in question is Edson Barboza, who’s hoping to make himself relevant again at the age of 37. Bookies, however, aren’t so sure about that as evident from the fact that his UFC Fight Night 230 odds are +112. Sure, Barboza’s odds aren’t extremely long, but he’s still seen as an underdog.
How to Watch
- When: Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 10:00 p.m ET
- Where: UFC Apex, Vegas, Nevada
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sodiq Yusuff | |
| Edson Barboza |
Fight Preview
Sodiq Yusuff is a Dana White Contender Series alumnus who inked a deal with the UFC in 2018. He impressed on his promotional debut by beating Suman Mokhtarian by TKO, which won him his first and so far, his only Performance of the Night bonus.
Since then, he’s 5-1, with his only loss happening by Arnold Allen by decision. Before joining the UFC, he suffered another loss, but it happened by a knockout in a Titan FC title fight in 2017.
Six years later, we could see him suffer his second career KO loss. The thing is that he’s locking horns with a real UFC legend who’s got 14 wins by KO/TKO in his career. And some of Barboza’s KO wins were brilliant (e.g., the spinning wheel kick KO vs. Terry Etim)!
What’s interesting is that despite being in his later 30s, Barboza still has it in him. The evidence is that in his most recent fight, he beat Billy Quarantillo by a first-round KO.
What’s interesting is that in that fight too, he was seen as an underdog. Barboza’s odds before the bout were somewhere in the ballpark of +140. It’s a similar situation ahead of the Yusuff vs. Barboza fight on October 14, but will we see the same scenario play out?
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza Prediction
The Yusuff vs. Barboza odds suggest the younger fighter will win. However, we think the veteran has the experience, as well as the skills and motivation to stage an upset. If there’s a guy who can upset the odds against Yusuff, it’s Barboza.
Free Pick:
MMA
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