Punahele Soriano is set to make his welterweight debut against Miguel Baeza at the UFC’s fight card on June 8, marking the first time in his professional career that he has dropped to this weight.
Punahele Soriano’s making a big move. He’s stepping down to welterweight for the first time in his professional career. This ain’t just hearsay.
Several insiders privy to the promotion’s plans spilled the beans to MMA Fighting. They confirmed Soriano’s gearing up for his 170-pound debut. His opponent? Miguel Baeza.
The showdown’s set for the UFC’s fight card on June 8. But here’s the catch. The event’s location and venue? Still up in the air.
Baeza’s making a comeback too. It’s been over two years since he stepped foot in the octagon. Soriano, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after a rough patch. He’s lost two straight and four out of his last five.
Soriano’s spent the majority of his career at middleweight. But his last fight? Not so great. He was submitted by Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC Austin in December. The 31-year-old Contender Series alum is prepping for his eighth walk in the promotion.
Baeza’s no newbie either. He earned his contract on Contender Series back in June 2019. And boy, did he make a splash in the UFC’s welterweight division. He racked up stoppage wins over Hector Aldana, Matt Brown, and Takashi Sato. His record? An impressive 10-0.
But then, things took a turn. “Caramel Thunder” went 0-3 inside the octagon. He suffered TKO losses to Andre Fialho and Khaos Williams. Plus, a decision loss in a “Fight of the Night” against Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Oh, and a shoutout to Guilherme Cruz. He contributed to this report.