Sodiq Yusuff and Nigerian pride

Nigerians are by many calculations the most successful immigrant group in the USA. 17% of all Nigerians in the US hold a master’s degree, with 4% holding a doctorate. By comparison, Caucasians in the US hold half as many master’s degrees, and one quarter as many Ph.Ds. Asians are in between, but far behind Nigerians, with 12% holding master’s degrees and 3% holding doctorates.

Mixed martial arts too boasts Nigerian exceptionalism, with Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman leading the way. At Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, the highest technical level by far was Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mike Davis, with the Lloyd Irvin protege taking a dominant unanimous decision. A proud Nigerian, Yusuff, 25, spoke afterward backstage about his hopes in the sport.

Our country, right now, we’ve got beacons in the UFC – Israel and Kamaru, said Yussuff, as transcribed by Fernanda Prates and Ken Hathaway for MMAjunkie. We’ve got people to look up to. And I just want to be another one of those people, trying to bring up more pride for my country. I try telling everybody, there are a million [Francis] Ngannous walking around in Nigeria. I’m not that big. I’m a featherweight, but all my muscle’s in my heart. And in my head. We’re naturally talented. We’re built for this. African strong.”

I’ve always been proud of being Nigerian. Especially when I first came into this country, it was a little bit hard to adjust. Because people just aren’t used to the culture. I’m not used to the culture. And there was a little time when I was ashamed, because of getting bullied and stuff like that, but after a while, once that pride grows, it just explodes. I can’t hold it back.

That fight could have easily been on UFC Fight Night. That could have easily been on one of the regular UFC fights. There are people online saying both of us should have gotten a contract, even though I won 30-27. I had no worries, I was like, ‘I got this.’

I had this dream two weeks ago. In the dream, I was sitting in my mom’s living room. I was talking to my little brother, and I told him, ‘Man, my body’s hurt. My body’s beat up. There’s something going on.’ And my brother turns to me and says, ‘Yeah, but how does it feel to have 10 grand in your bank account?’

And when he said that, it was like a movie, and I had a flashback like, ‘Oh, I just won a fight.’ That’s exactly what’s happening right now. I’m all beat up, my body’s jacked up, but it feels f***ing good to have 10 grand in my bank account.

The right from @Super_Sodiq knocks Davis half way across the canvas! pic.twitter.com/3XpFjjt8Uu

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 25, 2018

While ten grand feels good, Yusuff’s ankle not so much. The fighter was hobbling around on crutches after the fight.

I kind of had to eat the pain a little bit until I saw the damage being received by him too, said Yusuff. At a certain point, you swing a bat at another bat, sometimes your bat might break first, but sooner or later both bats are going to be broken.

There’s no way we were going to give a boring fight.”

Image courtesy of Victory FC