Who is Oumar Sy?

Oumar Sy is a French light heavyweight mixed martial artist making his UFC debut on May 18, 2024, against fellow newcomer, Tuco Tokkos at UFC Vegas 92. Sy earned his contract after an exceptional run on the European regional scene culminating in consecutive wins over former Octagon veterans Ildemar Alcântra and Henrique da Silva.

The 28-year-old Bulgarian Top Team representative, Sy will compete as a light heavyweight in the UFC but has also fought at heavyweight. He stands 6 foot 5 inches tall and swings punches with an 83.9 inch reach, so he has a frame conducive to bobbing between the heavyweight and light heavyweight classes.

Sy has fought in a few organizations thus far but has most notably competed in ARES FC, KSW, and most recently King of Fights where he dispatched Alcântra with ground and pound less than 90 seconds into their match. Sy has ended most of his contests in the opening minutes, holding six overall first-round stoppages.

Oumar Sy will put his undefeated record on the line at UFC Vegas 92

Seven of Sy's fights never made it to the final bell. His finishes consist of four knockouts and three rear-naked choke submissions. Sy utilizes his intimidating reach effectively. An example of him doing so came in 2019 when he collected a highlight reel first-round head kick knockout over Sophien Hadj Doula. Sy threw out combinations, worked his range early, and soon after caught his opponent.

Two of Sy's wins came after going the distance, so it's encouraging seeing that he doesn't rely solely on quick finishes but has the stamina to go all three rounds if necessary.

Being well-rounded is paramount in modern MMA, and Sy doesn't rely on kickboxing prowess, as his style of working opponents toward the cage and blasting in with double-leg takedown attempts is comparable to his countryman Benoit Saint-Denis (13-2). Like Denis, once the fight is on the mat, Sy works for dominant positions to unleash punches or take his adversary's back and work a rear-naked choke. Sy's long limbs have proven effective in lacing up body triangles to paralyze opponents and eventually get the strangle.

Sy has competed in MMA professionally since 2019 and debuted on the inaugural Eagles FC card. Despite signing with the UFC in October 2023, fight cancellations and injuries have delayed Sy from getting his run going. His originally scheduled opponent for UFC Vegas 92, Rodolfo Bellato (12-2) withdrew and was replaced by Dana White's Contenders Series veteran Antonio Trócoli (12-3). Unfortunately, Trócoli also pulled out shortly after being announced as a fill-in.

Luckily, Tokkos accepted the call to fight on four days' notice and saved the matchup. Tokkos is 33 and represents one of MMA's most prolific gyms, Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Tokkos enters his UFC debut on a three-fight winning streak. He competed most recently at Fury FC 86 on Feb. 23, 2024, and defeated Myron Dennis (19-10) after the latter suffered a first-round arm injury. Tokkos has been on the UFC's radar since 2022 when he fought Mingyang Zhang (17-6) in a Road to UFC bout, but lost via first-round knockout.

Tokkos stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and has strong MMA experience after competing in organizations like Fury FC and Bellator. He's earned eight career stoppage victories with six knockouts. Unfortunately, he'll have to overcome a nine-inch reach deficit if he hopes to land his power combos, as his wingspan is only 75 inches. Both fighters enter this matchup with heavyweight experience, success on the regional circuit, and the jitters that come along with an Octagon debut.