Benardo Sopaj

Overview

Benardo Sopaj lost his UFC debut by third-round TKO, then won his next two. The man they call "Lion King" is a 2-1 bantamweight in the UFC and 13-3-0 across all promotions. He fights out of Allstarts Gym and was born in Albania.

His UFC run has been short, but the pattern is already clear: a loss, then a decision, then a finish.

UFC Career

Sopaj debuted on March 1, 2024 against Vinicius Oliveira and lost by KO/TKO at 4:41 of round three. He answered at UFC 311 with a unanimous decision over Ricky Turcios, going the full three rounds.

His third UFC fight ended early. He submitted Timmy Cuamba at 2:25 of round two. That is his only finish so far, and he carries a two-fight win streak into his next bout.

Fighting Style

Sopaj is a wrestler who is also accurate on his feet. He lands strikes at a better clip than most and connects far more often than most, but he also absorbs more than most. His defense is only average, so the exchanges aren't free.

The grappling is where he stands out. He gets takedowns at a rate well above the norm and is hard to take down himself. He also hunts submissions more than most fighters.

His one finish in the UFC fits that profile: a second-round submission win. It's a small sample, but the numbers and the result agree.

Notable Wins

• Timmy Cuamba — submission, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa (2026)
• Ricky Turcios — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 311 (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Bantamweight
• UFC record: 2-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 13-3-0
• UFC debut: 2024
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'6" / 66"
• Team: Allstarts Gym
• Born: Albania