Marcus McGhee vs. Benardo Sopaj
UFC 332 · October 3, 2026 · Delta Center · Early Prelims 4:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Veteran pressure vs. rising finisher
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Bantamweight · Early Prelims
The read
McGhee's experience against a former champion gives him a credibility edge, and his own finishing rate means he doesn't need a decision to win.
Sopaj's youth and improving composure after his debut knockout loss make him live in any scramble, and his own finishing instincts are real.
A close fight that could end early for either man, with a slight lean to McGhee on the strength of schedule.
The matchup
McGhee is the more experienced UFC hand, having already given former champion Petr Yan a real fight, while Sopaj is younger, hungrier and has won his last two since a brutal knockout loss in his UFC debut.
McGhee's power and forward pressure have produced finishes against durable competition, but Sopaj's scrambling instincts and finishing rate on the regional scene suggest he's more dangerous than his 2-1 UFC record indicates.
Tale of the tape
| 11-2 | Record | 13-3 |
| 36 | Age | 25 |
| 5'8" | Height | 5'6" |
| 69" | Reach | 66" |
| Orthodox | Stance | — |
| United States | Country | Albania |
| The MMA Lab | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Marcus McGhee 11-2
“The Maniac”
Marcus 'The Maniac' McGhee is a 36-year-old Phoenix-based bantamweight who signed with the UFC in 2023 after nearly six years as an amateur. Eight of his 11 career wins have come by knockout or TKO, and he handed former champion Petr Yan a competitive fight before losing a decision in July 2025 — his first UFC defeat. He bounced back with a decision win over John Yannis in June 2026, and now meets a younger finisher in Benardo Sopaj.
- WJohn Yannis · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night 278 · June 6, 2026
- LPetr Yan · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder · July 26, 2025
- WJonathan Martinez · Decision (unanimous)UFC 309 · November 16, 2024
Benardo Sopaj 13-3
“The Lion King”
Benardo 'The Lion King' Sopaj is a 25-year-old Albanian bantamweight, fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden, who turned professional at 15 and built a 13-3 record largely on the European regional circuit before joining the UFC. He was knocked out by a flying knee from Vinicius Oliveira in his promotional debut, one of 2024's most replayed knockouts, but has won his last two, a decision over Ricky Turcios and a second-round submission of Timmy Cuamba in May 2026. His exact win-method split for his full regional record is not fully confirmed across sources. He now faces a durable UFC veteran in Marcus McGhee.
- WTimmy Cuamba · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night · May 16, 2026
- WRicky Turcios · Decision (unanimous)UFC 311 · January 18, 2025
- LVinicius Oliveira · KO/TKO (flying knee)UFC Fight Night · March 2, 2024