Don Shainis: Sodiq Yusuff a clean striker, but 'I'm gonna make this ugly'
LAS VEGAS – Don Shainis is looking to break Sodiq Yusuff.
Shainis (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his octagon debut against Yusuff (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 main card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Although Shainis’ past three wins came in Round 1, he’s looking to wear Yusuff out gradually.
“I think he’s a clean striker,” Shainis told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 211 media day on Wednesday. “I think he slows down, and I think I’m a grinder and I’m gonna make this ugly.”
He continued, “I’m coming out the woodwork. I’m coming out of left field, so no one knows what to expect from me. Everyone’s looking at my paper stats which don’t mean sh*t, and I’m coming out here and I’m coming to grind and get my hand raised.”
Fighting a ranked opponent on short notice appears to be a no lose situation for Shainis, but the newcomer doesn’t necessarily look at it this way.
“You think I came here to lose? I didn’t put in 10 years’ worth of work to lose,” Shainis said. “Losing happens, one of us is gonna lose, but I didn’t come all this way just to come this way, so my stock doesn’t go down regardless. This is win-win for me, f*ck it, but I’m here to win, don’t get it twisted.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 211.