“The Lion King” Bernardo Sopai’s UFC Debut on Short Notice!
Bernardo Sopai, known as “The Lion King,” is stepping into the UFC octagon with just a five-day notice, a remarkable turn of events that has the MMA community buzzing. Originally from Albania, now a proud representative of Sweden’s elite Allstars Training Center, Sopai is making a bold move by accepting a fight against Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Vegas 87 this weekend. This opportunity arose after Yanis Ghemmouri withdrew from what would have been Oliveira’s debut match, opening the door for Sopai to showcase his skills on one of the biggest stages in MMA.
At only 23 years old, Sopai boasts an impressive record of 11 wins and 2 losses, with his recent performances highlighting his knockout power. With three consecutive victories by KO/TKO, the former FCR champion and current Allstars Fight Night bantamweight titleholder has proven himself as a formidable striker and a rising star in the bantamweight division. His unexpected UFC debut comes at a time when he was preparing for a title fight against Ricardo Monteiro at Allstars Fight Night 5 on March 9. Opting for the UFC opportunity instead, Sopai faces a challenging opponent in Oliveira, a former UAE Warriors champion who has earned his UFC shot by securing back-to-back finishes since his loss to Malmö talent Ali Taleb in 2022.
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Updated Fight Card for UFC Vegas 87:
- Main Card (Starts at 10:00 PM CET, Saturday, March 2)
- Heavyweight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev
- Light Heavyweight: Vitor Petrino vs. Tyson Pedro
- Flyweight: Alex Perez vs. Muhammad Mokaev
- Middleweight: Eryk Anders vs. Jamie Pickett
- Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Bekzat Almakhan
- Flyweight: Matt Schnell vs. Steve Erceg
TRENDING
- Prelims (Starts at 7:00 PM CET, Saturday, March 2)
- Lightweight: Joel Álvarez vs. Ludovít Klein
- Bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi vs. Javid Basharat
- Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Cláudio Ribeiro
- Lightweight: Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Loik Radzhabov
- Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios
- Bantamweight: Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopai
Sopai’s last-minute addition to the card adds an exciting layer to an already stacked event, promising a night of thrilling matchups for MMA fans worldwide.
