SUMMARY
- Bernardo Sopai has recently been signed to the UFC.
- Ahead of his UFC debut, Sopai reveals the advice that Khamzat Chimaev gave him.
UFC Fight Night events are often a chance for newcomers to make a name for themselves. Within the confines of the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, we have seen numerous prospects fulfill their destiny. As such, Bernardo Sopai believes that he can do the same at UFC Vegas 87.
Previously, ‘The Lion King’ who used to train with Khamzat Chimaev revealed a key piece of information that has helped him throughout his career. Speaking in an interview, Sopai revealed, “He (Khamzat) said like ‘Listen, you have everything. You can do what I’m doing, you know. I’m almost fighting for the belt. You can do this as well. The only thing you have to do is be consistent in training, be disciplined'”.
As a result, Bernardo has worked hard since then, managing to clinch the FCR bantamweight championship and making a defense as well. Thereafter, he left FCR to pursue the Allstars Fight Night championship. As such, Sopai won the AFN title against Geovane Vargas making his opponent submit to strikes for a third straight finish. Now, he finally makes his way to the UFC for a chance to take his career to the next level.
Bernardo Sopai’s MMA record and what we know about him
For those unaware, Bernardo Sopai is a relatively unknown yet promising MMA athlete. The 23-year-old Swedish-based Albanian 11-2 prospect representing Allstars Training Center has been summoned to step in on short notice by the UFC. As such, he will be facing Vinicius Oliveira in the prelims of UFC Vegas 87. Originally, Contender Series alum Oliveira was meant to take on Yanis Ghemmouri at the March 2 event.
However, Ghemmouri has since withdrawn from the bout due to unknown reasons. As a result, the UFC has found Sopai to be their replacement, stepping in on 5 days’ notice. On the other hand, Bernardo was preparing for his Allstars Fight Night bantamweight title defense. Set to take on Ricardo Monteiro on March 9, it is likely that the bout is now off the table.
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Notably, Sopai is a very aggressive striker having finished 10 out of his 11 opponents. Other than Khamzat Chimaev, he has trained alongside the likes of Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson, Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi, and the “Georgian Viking” Guram Kutateladze. Thus working with such high-level fighters, Bernardo was always destined to eventually make his way to the UFC.
Bernardo Sopai is looking to accomplish the same feat as his teammate Khamzat Chimaev
For the most part, Bernardo Sopai is a much sought-after fighter at his regional level. Having made a lot of noise with his highlight KOs, the fighter was quickly signed up by Ali Abdelaziz’s Dominance MMA last year. Now, making his way into the UFC, Sopai faces a tall task, having to fight on short notice.
However, if he is anything like his teammate Khamzat Chimaev, Sopai should have no problems whatsoever. After all, Chimaev made his debut on a midweek card on July 16, 2020. Having submitted John Phillips in Round 2, he made a turnaround just 10 days later, taking on Rhys McKee. After finishing McKee, he would go on to brutally knockout Gerald Meerschaert just a couple of months later.
Bernardo Sopai will step in on five days’ notice to fight Vinicius Oliveira at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 87, multiple sources told me.
Sopai (11-2) was scheduled to defend his AFN title a week later in Sweden, so already in shape to compete.
Story coming to @MMAFighting.
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) February 27, 2024
Unfortunately, the now UAE-based fighter would then encounter severe health complications due to COVID-19, which led to a lot of time away from the sport. However, if all goes well, Sopai will be able to emulate the same amount of success and possibly try to be the next big name in the bantamweight division.