UFC Vegas 81 Results: Yusuff vs Barboza

The UFC Vegas 81 results: Yusuff vs Barboza, are ready for discussion. The event was held live on October 14, 2023 from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. It aired on ESPN+ at 6:00PM CDT with prelims kicking off at 3:00PM CDT.

Main Event

The main event in UFC Vegas 81 was a roller coaster for both fighters and fans alike. ‘Super’ Sodiq Yusuff was looking to put three straight wins together while Edson ‘Junior’ Barboza looked to prove that he is still here to give the best featherweights in the sport a run for their money.

The first round was unquestionably all Yusuff. The round started with a blistering pace. Sodiq Yusuff was standing in the pocket landing huge punches and short elbows. Later Yusuff secured a takedown and continued his onslaught. It was easily a 10-8 round for Yusuff as the damage and ground control were extremely one-sided.

In the second round, Yusuff was back in the pocket but Barboza was making it a bit more competitive. Late in the round, Barboza began to land more and more body shots on Yusuff and finding some success despite wearing all the damage from round one.

Barboza was showing some serious grit in round three. Having already taken the worst from Yusuff, Barboza began to pour on more body shots and started to truly establish himself in the fight for the first time. A low blow, from Yusuff, slowed the pace for nearly no time, as Barboza declined to use his recovery time. It was clear that Barboza had started to become comfortable as the body work he did had Barboza’s confidence growing. Then it came, a spinning wheel kick that had Yusuff seeing stars. Yusuff dropped and Barboza jumped on him trying, unsuccessfully, to secure a submission. The round ended but the tide turned.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats at the start of round four. The two were squaring off feeding each other jabs, but Barboza’s body work seemed to edge out the round for him. Barboza continued to exert his forward pressure and make it a grueling match.

The fifth round was upon us and both fighters were still game. Barboza was controlling the center of the octagon while throwing spinning side kicks late in the fight, with Yusuff still working his boxing. Edson Barboza was still finding success with his body kicks and jabs and his late round takedown seemed to seal the fate of this fight.

It ended up being one of the best fights of 2023, but ultimately the decision went to Edson Barboza. He was wearing much more damage than Yusuff but the heart of Barboza would not quit. A great fight from two amazing competitors. It’s likely this experience will help Yusuff grow as a martial artist and become even more of a threat in the division. Meanwhile, Edson Barboza reminds fans what the grit of a UFC hall of famer looks like.

Co-main Event

The co-main event featured Brazilians Jennifer Maia against Viviane Araujo in a women’s flyweight bout. Maia was looking for her third straight victory as Araujo was looking to rebound after two straight losses and possibly break into the top 10.

Round one started and the women began to emphatically work their jabs to find their range. Araujo had some good feints and consequently kept the pressure on Maia. Nearly halfway through the round the women met in the middle and indeed let their hands fly. A close round but Araujo undoubtedly ended up winning it 10-9.

In round two, Araujo secured a takedown and basically controlled Maia for the majority of the round. She was working for submissions but was unable to secure anything. At the end of the round she worked for a rear naked choke but when that didn’t pan out she went for a neck crank.

In round three Maia looked to be the aggressor. She was obviously feeling a sense of urgency to come back from losing two rounds already. Araujo shot for a single leg takedown but Maia defended it well punishing Araujo with elbows until the two eventually separated. A moment later and Maia shot for a double and secured the takedown with two minutes left in the round. The two grappled for a while until Maia transitioned to a late round, arm bar that proved unfruitful and the round ended with Araujo on top.

The official decision came in and all three judges had the scorecard 29-28 for Viviane Araujo.

UFC Vegas 81: Yusuff vs Barboza Results

MAIN CARD (AIRED ON ESPN+ AT 6:00PM CDT)

• Sodiq Yusuff #11 (13-3-0), (-166) vs Edson Barboza #13 (24-11-0), (+140) – featherweight bout – Edson Barboza by unanimous decision – fight of the night
• Jennifer Maia #9 (21-10-1), (-155) vs Viviane Araujo #11 (12-5-0), (+130) – women’s flyweight bout – Araujo by unanimous decision – performance of the night
• Jonathan Martinez (18-4-0), (-112) vs Adrian Yanez #14 (16-5-0), (-108) – bantamweight bout – Martinez by TKO (leg kicks) – performance of the night
• Andre Petroski (10-3-0), (+105) vs Michel Pereira (28-11-0), (-125) – middleweight bout – Pereira by KO/TKO
• Christian Rodriguez (10-1-0), (-162) vs Cameron Saaiman (9-1-0), (+136) – Rodriguez by unanimous decision

PRELIMS (AIRED ON ESPN+ AT 3:00PM CDT)

• Darren Elkins (28-11-0), (+170) vs TJ Brown (17-11-0), (-205) – featherweight bout – Elkins by 3rd round submission
• Tainara Lisboa (7-2-0), () vs Ravena Oliveira (7-2-1), () – women’s bantamweight bout – Lisboa by unanimous decision
• Terrance McKinney (15-6-0), () vs Brendon Marotte (8-2-0), () – lightweight bout – McKinney by 1st round KO/TKO
• Irina Alekseeva (5-2-0), () vs Melissa Dixon (6-0-0), () – women’s bantamweight bout – Dixon by unanimous decision
• Chris Gutierrez (19-4-2), (-325) vs Alatengheili (16-9-1), (+260) – bantamweight bout – Gutierrez by unanimous decision
• Ashley Yoder (8-9-0), (+285) vs Emily Ducote (13-8-0), (-360) – women’s strawweight bout – Ducote by unanimous decision

That’s a wrap for the UFC Vegas 81 Yusuff vs Barboza Results. We hope that you enjoyed this article and if you feel so inclined, then sign up for our newsletters below. Finally, check back with us after the UFC’s next event scheduled Saturday, October 21st 2023 from Etihad Arena in Yas Island/Yas West United Arab Emirates. That fight features the undoubtedly highly anticipated rematch of Makhachev #c vs Volkanovski. Also, Kamaru Usman #1 vs Khamzat Chimaev #4 in another possible barn burner. Prelims start at 9:00AM CDT and the main event will be on pay-per-view at 1:00PM CDT.