Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 245 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Puna Soriano made a statement to the UFC middleweight division in his promotional debut.
[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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The best facts and figures about the UFC 245 prelims, where Geoff Neal meets Mike Perry in the featured bout.
The UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year is the deepest of all. UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and in addition to three title fights on the main card, the prelims, which air on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, have a lot to offer.
The featured bout is an anticipated pairing in the welterweight division, with [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) looking to continue his unbeaten start inside the octagon against fan favorite [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind that matchup, as well as the others, check below for 30 pre-event facts on the UFC 245 prelims.
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Neal is the first welterweight to start 4-0 in the UFC since current champion Kamaru Usman.
Perry has earned his past two victories by decision after beginning his career with 11 stoppages.
Perry has alternated wins and losses over his past five UFC appearances. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 14.
Perry is 2-4 in his past six fights dating back to December 2017.
[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Mar. 3, 2018. The 651-day layoff is the longest of her more than five-year career.
Vieira’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied with Germaine de Randamie for the second longest active streak in the division behind Amanda Nunes (eight).
[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) defends 93.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate of any female and fourth overall in company history
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) is 2-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 3-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
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[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (21-16 MMA, 14-10 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 11, 2017. The 763-day layoff is the longest of his more than 14-year career.
Brown competes in his 25th UFC welterweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (26).
Brown is 2-5 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to July 2014.
Brown’s 14 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19), Matt Hughes (16) and Thiago Alves (15).
Brown has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. That includes 12 of his 14 wins under the UFC banner.
Brown’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Hughes for most in divisional history.
Brown’s 10 knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Brown’s 24 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (31).
[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-12-2 MMA, 8-9 UFC) is 5-6 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win outside the promotion.
Saunders’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.
Saunders’ three knockout victories stemming from knee strikes in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping for second most in company history behind T. Alves (four).
Saunders earned the first omoplata submission finish in UFC history when he defeated Chris Heatherly at UFC Fight Night 49. Adam Wieczorek earned the second finish with the technique at UFC on FOX 29.
Saunders omoplata finish was just the second in the combined history of the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and PRIDE. It’s one of three overall, along with Wieczorek and Shane Del Rosario, who also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (6-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 20, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Hooper returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 14, 2018. The 365-day layoff is the longest of his more than two-year career.
[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (15-5-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC) is on a three-fight winless skid in UFC competition. He hasn’t earned an octagon victory since April 2017.
[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]’s (20-7 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Henry Cejudo (four).
Kara-France has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC) competes in her fifth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (six).
Eye is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.
Eye’s six losses in UFC competition are tied for second most for any female in company history behind Angela Hill (seven).
[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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