[autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag] made a statement to the UFC middleweight division in his promotional debut Saturday night.
At UFC 245, Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UC) punched his way to victory 3:17 into Round 1. Soriano knocked out former Cage Warriors champ [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] in the evening’s curtain jerker.
Early in the opening round, Soriano hurt Piechota (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) with a series of big punches. However, the Polish middleweight survived and reversed position using a Kimura attempt.
However, when the fight rose back to the feet, Soriano went right back to work. Backing Piechota up against the cage, Soriano swung for the fences and connected. A huge left hand drilled Piechota, whose consciousness left his body as he stared at the lights.
Welcome to the UFC, @Puna185! 👏
Debuts don't come much better than that! #UFC245
📺 Watch LIVE on @UFCFightPass NOW! pic.twitter.com/ykIQy15GjZ
— UFC (@ufc) December 14, 2019
Soriano earned a UFC deal after a successful effort on season two of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” While he did not score a finish, Soriano dominated Jamie Pickett en route to a decision victory in June.
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UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
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