UFC 241: Cormier Vs. Miocic 2 Predictions
4. Gabriel Benitez Vs. Sodiq Yusuff
The UFC's featherweight division has slowly but surely built a top 15 filled with some fantastic talent over the last few years. Fans shouldn't just keep their eyes out for the best in the weight class though, as there's some sensational talent bubbling up underneath that could rise up the rankings by the end of 2019.
Two of those potential prospects are Sodiq Yusuff and Gabriel Benitez. Yusuff has been a prospect for a while, but is finally getting his shine inside the UFC. The 26-year old has some heavy hands, as we saw in his knockout win over Suman Mokhtarian last December. However, he's far from just a knockout artist, as he's got a solid background in jiu-jitsu too, training under Team Lloyd Irvin for a number of years.
Yusuff has looked extremely impressive during his brief UFC tenure, but he has a tough test ahead of him in the very experienced Benitez. The 31-year old Mexican has a wicked submission game and will take an arm or a neck at any given opportunity. Both men have decent striking, but if it goes to the ground, that's where the real battle will begin.
Although Benitez has a proven record with submissions, Yusuff's years training with some of the top grapplers in the States under Irvin should prove to be enough for him to walk away with a decision victory.