Tariq Ismail holds the No. 12 spot in Canada's bantamweight rankings and sits at No. 10 in the featherweight division. During a conversation with MMA Empire, he joked that his ideal weight is "140 pounds, right in the middle."
"Right now in my career, bantamweight works better for me—I'm much quicker there," he noted.
Sopai excited to get back in the cage
Just 19 years old, Sopai is hoping to build on his winning streak and climb the rankings. Known as "The Lion King," he views himself as a capable striker who enjoys ending bouts with his hands.
"I'm not one to take fights to the mat, but if things go down there, I like to unleash my power," Sopai shared in an MMA Empire interview.
Sopai stands as the top-ranked flyweight and bantamweight in Greece. Across the Europe Balkans region, he ranks 11th at bantamweight and second at flyweight. The young Albanian fighter isn't worried about facing a bigger opponent this weekend.
"I don't really mind whether Tariq fought at featherweight before," Sopai remarked.
"Same goes for me—this fight is happening at bantamweight."
As part of Allstars Training Center, Sopai has been grinding away in preparation for his return. Despite gym shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept training alongside a tight-knit group of coaches outside the facility.
"Training at Allstars is nonstop warfare every single day. Anyone who shows up here knows what they're getting into, believe me," Sopai said.
"I've put in serious work for this matchup and I'm feeling absolutely great—better than ready. I'm not changing my approach for Ismail; he's just another notch on my belt."
For Sopai, Saturday's bout represents yet another opportunity to showcase his control inside the octagon. He's banking on another decisive finish to push himself closer to main-event positioning.
"I execute my game plan properly, and I get to do it in the best gym with the best coaching staff," Sopai explained.
"My self-belief is off the charts."
