Punahele Soriano: “The Fear Drove Me”

His preparation to face Miguel Baeza in Louisville went smoothly, and this time around he is feeling all the confidence heading into the matchup. 

“I'll probably be around the same size as I was when I fought at middleweight,” Soriano said. “I'm ready to fight. I truly feel like I belong at this weight. A lot of the time I go through training camps when I'm going with the bigger guys, and a lot of the middleweights are like 215, 220; I'm 190 all camp, I'm getting crushed, and my confidence is low coming into fights. This time I got to train with guys my size and my confidence is through the roof. I feel the difference in bodies.”

UFC 304 IN MANCHESTER: Buy Tickets | VIP Experiences 

Soriano comes into this bout looking to get things back on track after dropping both contests in 2023 to Roman Kopylov and Dustin Stoltzfus. His last victory came in July of 2022 against Dalcha Lungiambula, and after the Kopylov loss it was 11 months before he stepped in the Octagon again, so when he got submitted against Stoltzfus last December, it was hard to sit back and wait for the next fight to come. 

“I wasn't happy at all, but we keep it moving,” Soriano said. “I've been working with the sports psychologist at the Performance Institute who has really helped me put things into perspective, and I've just been in a really good head space. I'm ready to get back to some winning ways and get even better than what I was before.”

Soriano is confident that the 170-pound division will complement his fighting style even more. He believes he’ll step into these matchups at a neutral or bigger size, which will assist in his ultimate goal: winning and doing it by putting someone’s lights out. 

MORE LOUISVILLE: Rising Fighters | Thiago Moisés Interview | Nassourdine Imavov Interview | Main Event Spotlight 

That goal remains the same heading into his matchup with Baeza, who comes into the fight having lost three in a row to Santiago Ponzinibbio, Khaos Williams and Andre Fialho. It’s been over two years since “Caramel Thunder” has been in the Octagon, but this matchup is one that Soriano is eagerly awaiting. 

“Every time I watch his footage, he's nasty,” Soriano said. “He can put guys out on the feet or on the ground. What I like when I see him is I feel like he's real dangerous and I get scared, and I like the fear he instills in me. I feel like that fear drove me the whole camp, letting me be as sharp as I can.”

His gameplan for securing for a win in his welterweight debut is simple. 

“The key to getting back into the win column is going to be fighting my fight, not letting my thoughts get into the fight, stick to the plan, stick to the fight, and just fight him as hard as I can,” Soriano said. “Any time I've had shortcomings or things like that, it's just things popping up in my head when they shouldn't be in the fight and getting off track. I'm going to stay on track, stay focused and keep pushing towards the victory.”

TUF 32: Episode 1 Recap | How To Watch

When he envisions the matchup with Baeza, he, of course, sees himself getting the finish. He isn’t sure where or when, but he believes it will happen and he knows he is going to give it everything he can to secure it. And getting back in the win column? It would mean the world to him, and perhaps after the victory you may see him having a little extra fun. 

“As fighters, we all put so much into our careers, into what we do. We love this sport. Wins and losses mean so much to us. With a win, I might be running down the street, drinking every bourbon I can find.”