Don Shainis planning to make Sodiq Yusuff scrap a “dog fight,” plans to “f**k up the whole 145 division” with upset win

Don Shainis believes he has no pressure on him entering his UFC Vegas 61 fight against Sodiq Yusuff.

Yusuff was supposed to fight Giga Chikadze on September 17 but after the Georgian was forced out of the bout, the UFC got Shainis as a replacement to fight Yusuff on October 1. Although many expect Yusuff to win with ease, Shainis knows he’s a dog and has confidence in himself, and plans to f**k up the entire division with a massive upset win.

“Here’s the thing man, I think people are really counting me out in this. Stylistically, he’s good, I get it, but so is everyone,” Shainis said to BJPENN.com. “They just don’t know me, they don’t know I’m a dog, they will find out, it’s cool. Everyone thinks here I’m coming in here to get smoked but get a UFC deal. Do you think I’m stupid? I know exactly what this is, they are trying to get Sodiq a big win but I’m going to make the of this opportunity…

“There is no pressure on me, I go out there and show out but lose, cool I prove I belong and can hang with these top guys,” Shainis said. “I go out there and win, I’m going to f**k up the whole 145 division. To me, my stock is going up no matter what and my job is to make weight and perform, I’m not trying to add anything else to it. I believe if I show up my awkward style will come through, the more I make this a dog fight, the better.”

Against Sodiq Yusuff, Don Shainis believes his awkward striking could frustrate and throw off his opponent. Along with that, the UFC newcomer is also confident in his ground game and that he will have success on the mat to help him pull off the massive upset.

“I know he’s fast and athletic and will be hard to take down. But, my striking may not look the prettiest but it’s awkward and efficient,” Shainis said. “It might not look crisp and clean but I through from weird angles and I know my grappling will excel against his… I could clip him, it could be a grind. I think on the ground is my best path to victory but it’s a fight.”

If Shainis gets the upset win, he will be a ranked featherweight after just one appearance and will immediately be thrown into the deep end. He also plans to take full advantage of this opportunity and get one more fight in this year.

“I’m taking this one fight at a time. Everything can change in a blink of an eye and it’s time to f**k around and find out… I do hope I can get one more in this year as my goal this year was to have two UFC fights and I have a shot of doing that,” Shainis concluded.

Do you think Don Shainis can beat Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Vegas 61?