Mairon Santos and Sodiq Yusuff meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 256 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

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Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night 256 preview

Santos (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has quickly made an impression through two fights following his stay on Season 32 of "The Ultimate Fighter." In his debut, Santos stopped Kaan Ofli in the second round, followed by a split decision win over Francis Marshall. The 24-year-old Brazilian enters his first lightweight contest since 2021. … Yusuff (13-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) decided to move up to 155 pounds after nine fights in the UFC. His last time competing in the weight class was in 2017. After dropping back-to-back outings to Edson Barbosa and Diego Lopes, the 31-year-old Dana White's Contender Series veteran saw fit to make a change.

Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night 256 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a striker's delight at 155 pounds is a battle between Santos and Yusuff.

Both men traditionally compete down at featherweight, but the short-notice nature of this booking (something that has been a quiet trend for the UFC as they struggle to keep their own schedule) forces these two fighters up a division.

However, given that both Santos and Yusuff are also notably large featherweights, I doubt that either of them minds a healthier approach to fight night.

I don't blame anyone for backing Yusuff as the more experienced fighter in this spot, but his self-admitted health issues, which have led to his injury layoff, are cause for serious concern.

I know Santos is coming off a controversial decision win over Francis Marshall, but the Brazilian has shown serious promise and improved fight-to-fight under the care of Eric Nicksick and company at Xtreme Couture MMA.

Yusuff could certainly teach "The Legend" a lesson, considering the octagon experience gap, but I suspect that Santos' movement and shot selection will start to frustrate the Nigerian-born American as he starts to tire.

The pick is Santos to score a same-side head kick knockout in Round 3.

Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night 256 odds

The oddsmakers and the public favor the Brazilian fighter, listing Santos -142 and Yusuff +116 via FanDuel.

Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night 256 start time, how to watch

Santos and Yusuff are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 106: Mairon Santos vs. Sodiq Yusuff prediction, start time

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