Benardo Sopaj

Bernardo Sopai vs. Ricky Turcios
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Sopai (-355), Turcios (+280)

Round 1
The day before UFC Fight Night 247, also known as Magny vs. Prates, went down last November, Turcios (12-4, 2-2 UFC) fell ill during his weight cut and was forced out of his match with Sopai (11-3, 0-1 UFC). It took over two months to get the bantamweight pairing on the books again, but both fighters appear healthy and good to go this time around. They settle their business under the watchful eye of referee Frank Trigg, choosing to touch gloves before getting after it. Sopai pushes the pace immediately, allowing kicks from “Pretty Ricky” to fly past him so he can smack the Texan in the face with the instep of his foot. As Sopai keeps kicking, Turcios strafes left and right to set something up on his end. This results in a lot of chasing from the Albanian, who times a solid head kick to bean Turcios in the forehead. Turcios shakes it off and kicks the lead leg of his opponent two times in a row. Turcios chains a low kick into a spinning back kick to the midsection, and he keeps his gloves up to defend the head kick that aims at his dome. The two fire off low kicks, and one slides up the lead leg and bumps into Sopai’s cup. Trigg tells them to keep it clean and they fight on, with chants of “Let’s go, Ricky” as the Texan finds some success. Turcios steps on the gas and stalks down “The Lion King,” connecting with front kicks and pushing forward so he can grapple his opponent. As they clinch up against the fence, Turcios clings on tight while firing off several knees up the middle, and he keeps in close even as Sopai tries to escape. Sopai manages to get away, but Turcios races after him and tackles him down to his knees. Sopai defends it and stands up, but the second attempt from Turcios drags him down. Sopai scrambles to stand up, and Turcios leaps on his back to threaten with something. Sopai twists to put Turcios on his back, and he lines up some ground-and-pound. The strikes open up a cut on the corner of the face of “Pretty Ricky,” who explodes back to his feet and starts brawling it out with his foe. Sopai welcomes the slugfest, and he eats a hefty low kick, a right hand and some knees with shoved against the wall. The horn sounds to end the close round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2
The fighters touch ‘em up to get started in the second round, and Sopai quickly backs Turcios to the wall and boots him upside the head. Sopai jabs his way in, and he slips back to avoid a low kick but is not able to get out of the way as Turcios is on him. “Pretty Ricky” lets fly two body kicks and tries to wrench Sopai to the floor, and they land in 50/50 position before pushing off to return to striking range. Turcios chips at the front leg a few times, getting away with naked kicks without reprisal. Sopai bears down on him and slugs him in the chops with a fierce right hand, forcing Turcios to turn tail and sprint away to reset. Sopai chases after him swinging hard, and Turcios gathers his thoughts and wings his own punches back when sitting down on them. Turcios leaps after a takedown, and Sopai turns him about and down to the ground. A furious scramble from Turcios leads to both men getting back upright, and he walks through an uppercut so he can get in close. Sopai connects with a knee that shakes Turcios up, and he pushes Turcios down to his hands to further slow him. Turcios twist and stands up, working the sides with punches only to get met with two crisp knees from the Albanian. Turcios consistently presses forward, backing Sopai off and making him work, and this appears to be bearing fruit as Sopai starts taking deep breaths with 90 seconds left in the round. Turcios, meanwhile, is fresh as a daisy and hurls big punches with bad intentions behind them. A pair of them clip Sopai, who ties his foe up and connects with a few knees to keep Turcios honest. Sopai pushes away a takedown shot to blast the Texan in the face with ferocious punches, and he trips Turcios up but elects not to follow him down so he can keep hitting him. Turcios drops down for a potential takedown, shakes it off and tries to keep swinging until the bell separates them.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 3
There is a glove touch to start the final round, and Sopai further reintroduces himself with a low kick and a body kick. The latter appears to take the wind out of the Texan’s sails, who drops to his knees and is in a bad way. Sopai tries to pound him out, ultimately settling to push Turcios all the way to his back so he can start bludgeoning him with elbows. Turcios’ nose busts open as blood sprays out of it, down his chest and all over the mat. Turcios practically laughs, somehow willing himself back to his feet so he can put hands on the man that hurt him. Sopai backs off, and Turcios races after him to clinch fight him. Turcios walks through punches to land some of his own, and Sopai eats them, shakes his head and knees “Pretty Ricky” in his not-so-pretty face. Swelling, a crunched nose and blood have transformed Turcios’ visage to something out of a European fairy tale, but Turcios has no concern for his outer appearance and just wants to bleed and fight. Turcios runs towards Sopai, throwing everything he has at his tiring opponent, and he hops on Sopai’s back only to slide off thanks to the sweat and blood. Sopai climbs into his guard, and he fights off a triangle choke setup to shift to the side. Turcios turns over to his knees and stands up, and they fire off jabs at one another with about 90 seconds on the clock. Turcios checks a kick and charges into the fray, absorbing plenty of strikes so he can hope to catch Sopai with something. Sopai pushes him away with front kicks, and he leaps in the air with a knee that glances off the target. Turcios walks directly into a knee, and an uppercut puts him down on his face for a moment. Turcios bounces off the mat, head-first, and does not just pop up but is appears totally fine and ready to keep banging. With “Fight of the Night” already having a frontrunner, the two add to it by going for broke with seconds to spare. Sopai flips at his opponent with a somersault kick, and Turcios takes it flush and chucks his opponent to the floor like a 135-pound side of beef. As Turcios tries to beat down his foe, Sopai throws his legs up to hang tight on a triangle choke until the bloody battle comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai (30-27 Sopai)

The Official Result
Bernardo Sopai def. Ricky Turcios via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopai
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: N/A

Round 1
It’s back-to-back 135-pound contests of Zahabi-Basharat and now Oliveira (19-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sopai (11-2, 0-0 UFC), with this pairing between UFC debutants. Both fighters do not like to involve the judges often, with “Lok Dog” posting a finish rate of 89%, and Albania’s Sopai countering with 91%. While the final bell might not play a factor, referee Keith Peterson almost certainly will before it is all said and done. Ahead of the action, there is a no-nonsense fist bump to commence this short-notice contest. Oliveira introduces himself with a rangy body kick, and he stalks forward with a sweeping leg kick. Sopai replies with a high kick that whizzes past his foe’s head, and Oliveira kicks him on the calf two more times. Oliveira aims a side kick to the knee, and keeps is guard up to defend from another head kick. The two crash together, and their excitement causes them to flail madly and miss wide on both sides. Oliveira goes to chase after his opponent, and Sopai chops him down with an inside low kick. Oliveira winds up with a power punch, and Sopai gets him back with another kick. Oliveira spins his man around with a leg kick, and Sopai tries and fails to wing a right hand when he spins about. Oliveira chips away with his calf kicks, keeping a safe range from the lunging Sopai. Oliveira spins for a wheel kick, and Sopai intercepts him and tackles him to the canvas. Sopai jumps to side control, and Oliveira counters with a heel hook attempt. Sopai lowers himself down to thwart the submission setup, and he settles down inside of the Brazilian’s guard. Oliveira throws up an armbar to threaten from his back, and Sopai backs off and lets them stand back up. Sopai chases after the Brazilian and lays into him with a huge right hand, and Oliveira responds with a head kick and a hard right hand to follow. Sopai winds up on power punches, blocks a head kick and scoots back to dodge a leg kick. Oliveira aims a kick that slaps into the guard, and Sopai chops his lead leg with a kick before charging to land a takedown. Sopai lands in full mount, but Oliveira bucks him back to the guard. Oliveira hacks with elbows from his back and kicks Sopai off of him, but Sopai lowers himself and smacks Oliveira in the face several times until the horn stops the round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2
The bantamweights clap hands to re-engage, and Oliveira starts off with a leg kick. Sopai aggressively hunts for a takedown, and when Oliveira counters with a trip, Sopai is able to bowl his man over and set him down. Oliveira turns to his side and then gives up his back, and Sopai wraps a hook around the waist and starts slamming the Brazilian in the side of the head with right hands. Sopai clobbers his fading opponent with punches and occasional elbows, and Peterson looks closely at the undefended strikes adding up. Oliveira keeps turning, and he gets flattened out briefly as Sopai hammers him with ground-and-pound. Sopai allows Oliveira to turn all the way around and follows him every step of the way, claiming Oliveira’s back once more and slamming down fierce right hands. Sopai sits up and rides Oliveira’s back like a professional bull rider, and he beats on Oliveira with several more right hands. Oliveira stands up with Sopai still on his back, and Sopai threatens with a rear-naked choke when he sees the opening. Oliveira grabs hold of one arm and slings Sopai over, and he chucks Sopai on his back. Oliveira unleashes a fury of power strikes, hurting Sopai and stepping into a partial mount until Sopai muscles his way back to his feet. Oliveira wrenches him away from the wall and climbs into top position with about a minute to go, and he drives down standing-to-ground punches and elbows that do some serious damage. Oliveira flattens himself down to grab hold of an arm-triangle choke, and he drives down punches and elbows until Sopai kicks him off. Sopai stands back up and walks into a head kick, and Oliveira races after him throwing hands. Sopai retaliates with a big punch, and he gets blasted with a head kick as he turns away before the round ends. When the round does conclude, Sopai puts his hands on his waist, and he appears totally exhausted.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
The fighters touch ‘em up to start the last round, and Oliveira walks Sopai down. When Sopai misses with a punch, Oliveira flails with several punches and a leg kick that does connect. Oliveira’s wild offense largely misses, and Sopai appears to still be catching his wind, as he only offers an occasional single strike. Oliveira charges forward with a right hand, and Sopai’s legs are barely beneath him as he partially absorbs a high kick. Oliveira drills him with two right hooks in rapid succession, and Sopai takes a sharp exhale in response. Oliveira meanders forward, no concern for his physical well-being, and he throws everything he has into every one of his strikes. Sopai allows most of them to soar past him, but the ones that do connect hurt him. Oliveira lands a few leg kicks as well, and he turns away to his corner and then lances Sopai with a few straight punches. Sopai is sucking wind as he tries to give something back, but Oliveira’s offense forces him to backpedal constantly. Oliveira winds up with a fierce right hand, and Sopai staggers back to the wall. Oliveira follows it with a leg kick, and he dings Sopai with another right. Oliveira loads up on power right hands and sweeping leg kicks, and Sopai is displaying his toughness but is getting knocked around the cage. Oliviera lands yet another big right hand, and Sopai bounces off the cage wall and offers back a single jab. Oliveira shoots down for a takedown, and when that fails, he swings inaccurately. Sopai reaches him with a swiping left hook, and Oliveira chops at his leg and belts him with a left hand that sends Sopai staggering back. Sopai turns away, his hands down, and the Brazilian sees his opening.
Oliveira sprints at his opponent, leaping in the air with and colliding in Sopai’s chin with about as clean of a flying knee as anyone will ever see. Sopai collapses lifelessly to the mat like a puppet whose strings have been cut, and Oliveira strides off, knowing there is nothing more he needs to do today but sign the check for his post-fight bonus.
Chalk this up as an immediate “Knockout of the Year” frontrunner, with the brutal flying knee to conclude the thrilling battle. Thankfully, Sopai eventually regains his senses, but he needs to be carried out of the Octagon from all the damage he sustained after nearly 15 minutes of ridiculous action and violence.

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Bernardo Sopai R3 4:41 via KO (Flying Knee)