Benardo Sopaj Record: 13-3-0

Building toward the big stage

After a narrow split-decision setback in 2021, Sopaj rebuilt with a run of emphatic finishes that became his calling card: a second-round head-kick knockout in 2022, a first-round knockout in early 2023, and a first-round TKO of the experienced Geovane Vargas at the end of 2023. The streak of violence earned him a short-notice UFC call.

Inside the UFC

Sopaj's promotional debut in March 2024 came against the surging Vinicius Oliveira, and it was a brutal welcome: Oliveira ended it in the third round with a flying-knee knockout. Sopaj answered adversity the way good prospects do. In January 2025 at UFC 311, he turned in a poised, three-round unanimous-decision win over the powerful Ricky Turcios, showing maturity and fight IQ to go with his power. He kept the momentum in May 2026, submitting Timmy Cuamba with a second-round rear-naked choke to push his UFC record forward and prove his grappling can finish at the highest level too.

Fighting style

Sopaj is a finisher built around concussive striking. Of his 13 wins, seven have come by knockout and four by submission, an 85 percent finish rate that reflects a fighter who hunts the stoppage from the opening bell. His best weapons are his hands and his head kick, and his Allstars-honed boxing lets him pressure forward and let combinations go in tight. The submission of Cuamba and earlier regional finishes show his ground game is no afterthought. The honest caution is defense: his lone UFC loss came on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knee, and tighter, more elusive strikers have taken him to decisions. But when Sopaj plants his feet and opens up, the "Lion King" is among the more dangerous finishers in his bracket.

Career highlights

• UFC bantamweight on the rise — rebounded from a debut knockout loss to beat Ricky Turcios and submit Timmy Cuamba, establishing himself among the division's promising European imports.
• 85 percent finish rate — seven knockouts and four submissions among 13 wins mark him as a true finisher, with the head kick a recurring highlight weapon.
• Regional prospect-slayer — handed undefeated Tariq Ismail his first defeat at Brave CF 38, headlining a regional run that earned him a UFC contract.