6 burning questions heading into UFC 246

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle takes you through all the key storylines heading into Saturday night’s major event.

Will Sodiq Yusuff reach the next level, or will Andre Fili finally get there?

Everything about [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] screams “star in the making.” From his performances in the cage to his pedigree at one of the sport’s hottest camps in Fortis MMA to an undeniable charisma, we could be just a couple years away from the 26-year-old Nigerian star competing for a featherweight championship.

One thing Yusuff (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) doesn’t have yet, though, is a victory over the sort of opponent that signals to fans he’s ready to start facing top-ranked competition. But he has just such an opportunity on Saturday night when me meets Team Alpha Male’s [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag].

Fili (20-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) has been a mainstay at 145, someone who is known for being in exciting fights, win or lose. But here’s the thing: Before you label Fili a gatekeeper, he’s won four of his past five, including a “Performance of the Night”-winning knockout of Sheymon Moraes last time out.

So for both of the these fighters, the bout represents their chance to make a statement they’ve moved up another level. Between that and their blend of exciting styles, this fight has “show stealer” written all over it.

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