It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Sodiq Yusuff as of late, but the UFC featherweight hopes to right the ship and get back to business as usual.
The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran will look to rebound from the first loss of his UFC career on Saturday when Yusuff (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) faces Alex Caceres (19-12 MMA, 14-10 UFC) on the main card UFC Fight Night 203.
“I like Bruce Leroy,” Yusuff told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I like the way he fights, he’s an original OG anime guy, you know? I’m an anime guy too, so it’s cool. I like the matchup.”
While getting back in the win column is important after a decision loss to Arnold Allen, there were times it was far from the first thing on Yusuff’s mind. He contemplated walking away from fighting altogether while dealing with long-haul COVID-19 symptoms that affected his ability to train properly. Even outside of the gym there were days where fatigue would get the best of him.
“It’s super depressing,” Yusuff said about his lack of activity due to health issues. “Especially the year before this one was frustrating, but last year was not frustrating because now I’m dealing with my health, you know? It’s different being frustrated about fighting and not thinking you’re gonna be jacked up for the rest of your life. I was really, really scared.”
Yusuff is in better health now and hopes to continue a more frequent schedule of fighting that he was used to in past years. Fighting twice in 2019 was the slowest stretch for Yusuff at the time, but two fights total over the past two years is certainly a trend he would like to break out of quickly.
Check out the full media day interview with Yusuff in the video above.