Nigerian-born Sodiq Yusuff has made the country proud again after beating Mexico’s Gabriel Benitez in the first round of one of the biggest Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view cards of the year.
Yusuff, 26, did the magic at UFC 241 on Saturday night in Anaheim, California, when he defeated Benitez in the Featherweight with a stunning Technical Knock Out (TKO) at exactly 4 minutes 14 seconds into the fight.
Expressing his joy after the match, Yusuff said, “It’s a blessing to fight on this card. I’m Nigerian baby, I’m built for struggle. This is what we do.”
The match started with ease for Yusuff as he threw punches at Benitez, tearing a corner of his left eye. He continued his punch combinations, but the 31-year-old American Kickboxing Academy fighter threw a counter that sent him to the canvas for a moment.
This became a wake-up call for Yusuff who came back with more punches and combinations, then sent a right hand that knocked down his opponent. Benitez could not recover and Yusuff followed up with devastating punches, forcing the referee to stop the contest.
This victory has moved Yusuff to 10-1 in his career and 3-0 in UFC.