Manoel Sousa

1-0
Record
Age / DOB 29
(Jun 04, 1997)
Height 5' 9"
Weight 155 lbs.
Reach 70"
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages
4.15 Sig. Strikes / Min
45.0% Sig. Strike Acc.
3.71 Absorbed / Min
51.0% Strike Defense
0.0 TD Avg / 15 min
0.0% TD Accuracy
60.0% TD Defense
1.6 Sub. / Fight
Win Methods (1)
KO/TKO 1
Submission 0
Decision 0

Fight History

Result / Opponent
Event & Date
Method/Round
Links
Comments
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Bolaji Oki 0 84 of 170 49% 108 of 196 1 of 2 50% 0 0 3:23
Manoel Sousa 2 71 of 179 39% 86 of 196 0 of 3 0% 1 0 1:09
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Bolaji Oki 0 20 of 26 76% 42 of 50 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:51
Manoel Sousa 1 10 of 21 47% 23 of 35 0 of 0 --- 1 0 0:59
2 Bolaji Oki 0 32 of 72 44% 34 of 74 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:28
Manoel Sousa 0 13 of 66 19% 15 of 68 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:00
3 Bolaji Oki 0 32 of 72 44% 32 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:04
Manoel Sousa 1 48 of 92 52% 48 of 93 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:10
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Bolaji Oki 84 of 170 49% 42 of 111 28 of 44 14 of 15 62 of 143 17 of 19 5 of 8
Manoel Sousa 71 of 179 39% 48 of 150 16 of 21 7 of 8 62 of 161 8 of 14 1 of 4
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Bolaji Oki 20 of 26 76% 8 of 14 9 of 9 3 of 3 3 of 7 12 of 12 5 of 7
Manoel Sousa 10 of 21 47% 8 of 18 2 of 2 0 of 1 4 of 12 5 of 5 1 of 4
2 Bolaji Oki 32 of 72 44% 16 of 49 11 of 18 5 of 5 28 of 65 4 of 6 0 of 1
Manoel Sousa 13 of 66 19% 7 of 56 4 of 8 2 of 2 12 of 61 1 of 5 0 of 0
3 Bolaji Oki 32 of 72 44% 18 of 48 8 of 17 6 of 7 31 of 71 1 of 1 0 of 0
Manoel Sousa 48 of 92 52% 33 of 76 10 of 11 5 of 5 46 of 88 2 of 4 0 of 0
Expert Picks (9)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 8, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

Angelo picks Manoel Sousa, praising his incredible aggression, power, and pace. He notes that Bolaji Oki is a dangerous striker but fades significantly, and Sousa can go a full 15 minutes. He also mentions Sousa's win over Mauricio Ruffy and believes the UFC will invest in him.

"Manuel Souza is gonna be the pick."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Mar 9, 2026 (5 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

Big Brady picks Manoel Sousa to win by third-round knockout. He likes Sousa's pressure style, power, and gas tank, and questions Oki's chin and durability. He notes Oki has been hurt and slowed down in fights, and believes Sousa will break him as the fight goes on. He acknowledges Oki has a path via wrestling but doubts he can maintain it for 15 minutes.

"give me Emanuel Souza to win this fight. I'll take him to win this fight by third round knockout."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Mar 11, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

Cody picks Sousa, citing his technical striking and power. He notes Oki's poor cardio and decision-making. He thinks Sousa will catch Oki as he tires.

"It's Sza for me."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Mar 13, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Bolaji Oki

Connor also picks Oki, emphasizing that Sousa has learned all the wrong things and lacks defensive acumen. He notes that Oki is fearless and a fantastic athlete, while Sousa is designed to snipe opponents who are afraid of him. Connor believes Oki's functional rawness will prevail over Sousa's flawed style.

Oki opened at +170, currently +230; Sousa opened at -200, dropped to -400, currently -270
"Sosa's raw in a way where it's like, Oh, you have learned all the wrong things. Yeah. So I'll take Oki as well."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Mar 8, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

James picks Manoel Sousa to win by knockout, citing his power, pace, and pressure. He notes Oki's questionable chin and tendency to gas out after a fast start. He acknowledges Oki's grappling upside but believes Sousa's relentless style will overwhelm him.

"I'm going to pick Mammo Soua to win via knockout here."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Mar 10, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

The host picks Sousa to win by knockout but is hesitant about the high price. He believes Sousa's Muay Thai and power will eventually land on Oki, but acknowledges Oki's own power and the possibility of an upset. He would prefer the line closer to -185 and suggests waiting for better odds. He notes that Sousa's grappling improvement and learning from the Perez fight will help him keep the fight standing.

Sousa by KO
"I think Sosa ends up landing the big enough shot to put Oki away here. I'm not so confident to the point that I would have played him at minus 300... I think -255 a little bit wide."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Mar 11, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Manoel Sousa

Paul picks Sousa, noting his power and technical striking. He thinks Oki's cardio and ring IQ are issues. He expects Sousa to win by knockout.

"I think Sza has the way better uh the way better ground game and uh maybe he's coming into his own."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 14, 2026 (fight day)
Manoel Sousa

The Guru picks Manoel Sousa, citing his crafty veteran experience from Bellator and his ability to work into fights. He notes that Oki is explosive but fades after the first round, and that Sousa has the durability and finishing ability to take over in later rounds. He predicts a TKO in round 2 or 3.

Prediction: round 2 or 3 TKO
"I'm going to go with Manel Sousa... round two or three TKO finish."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Mar 13, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Bolaji Oki

Zane picks Bolaji Oki, noting that Sousa is a raw fighter with poor defense and a tendency to lunge in without setup. He believes Oki's athleticism and fearlessness will overwhelm Sousa, who struggles against aggressive opponents. Zane compares the fight to Oki's bout with Timmy Kwamba, where Oki's functional rawness outperformed Kwamba's flawed style.

Oki opened at +170, currently +230; Sousa opened at -200, dropped to -400, currently -270
"I'll take Oki as well. What is it? It's weird. That's a weird, lightweight fight of like, yeah, they're both prospects technically, but like, I dunno, not fighters."