Tag: Puna Soriano

Kevin Holland replaces Puna Soriano, meets Anthony Hernandez on UFC’s May 16 card

The second UFC appearance of Puna Soriano is once again pushed back after his withdrawal from a planned bout with Anthony Hernandez.

The second octagon appearance for [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag] is once again pushed back after his withdrawal from a planned bout with [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] next month.

Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is out of his middleweight matchup against Hernandez (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on the UFC’s planned May 16 card, according to two people familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly. He will be replaced by [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

The reason behind Soriano’s withdrawal was not disclosed.

Holland, 27, will attempt to bounce back from a submission loss against Brendan Allen last October at UFC on ESPN 6. He’d won three consecutive bouts prior and is keen to return to the winning track.

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It won’t be easy against Hernandez, 26, who picked up his fist octagon triumph in August when he submitted Jun Yong Park at UFC on ESPN+ 15. “Fluffy” has finished his opponent in all but one of his career wins.

The UFC card on May 16 originally was scheduled to take place in San Diego. The coronavirus has caused California to suspended all combat sports events through May, and the UFC has since been making adjustments to its event schedule.

UFC 249, which is the promotion’s next card on April 18, reportedly will take place on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif. It will not be sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission, and UFC president Dana White said the plan is to host the next two months of fight cards in the same location.

If the UFC succeeds in its plan, the May 16 card is likely to go down there.

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Puna Soriano out of UFC on ESPN 8, rebooked for May event; Eric Spicely gets new opponent

Two cards have been shaken up after one fighter was shifted off of UFC on ESPN 8.

[autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag] won’t compete at UFC on ESPN 8 after all, but it didn’t take long for his next fight to be booked.

Originally expected to face [autotag]Eric Spicely[/autotag] March 28 in Columbus, Ohio, Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) now will meet [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] on May 16 at an event expected to take place in San Diego.

As for Spicely (12-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC), the submission will remain on UFC on ESPN 8 card to take on [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] instead.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the Soriano-Hernandez booking but asked to remain anonymous as the UFC has yet to make an announcement. The promotion announced Spicely vs. Kopylov (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Friday.

After earning a UFC contract on “Dana White’s Contender Series,” Soriano made his promotional debut at UFC 245 in December. Taking on Oskar Piechota, Soriano leveled his Polish opponent en route to a knockout victory in Round 1. Soriano, 27, has finished six of seven opponents with five knockouts and one submission to his name.

Also a DWCS signee, Hernandez (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will look to turn a win into a winning streak. His most recent fight came in August, when he submitted Jun Yong Park by second-round anaconda choke. A former LFA champion, Hernandez has gone to decision only once. The MMA Gold Fight Team product has five submission victories.

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Off Guard: Punahele Soriano loves living in Las Vegas next to UFC Performance Institute

Punahele Soriano discusses how living near the UFC Performance Institute has helped transform his body.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag] has seen plenty of benefits by kickstarting his UFC career while living in Las Vegas.

The “Dana White’s Contender Series” veteran made good in his UFC debut with a first-round knockout over Oskar Piechota at UFC 245.

And the undefeated Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) attributes his early success to being based in Vegas, home of the UFC Performance Institute, which he credits for transforming his body.

“Huge difference,” Soriano told MMA Junkie about the UFC PI. “Even just like on my wallet, I’m not buying anything to eat. Everything’s made for me. I can get food sent to me, just like Trifecta meals and all that. Even if you look at my physique from before getting into the UFC to getting into the UFC, I got a lot bigger just from the food, the rehab, everything just right in front of me.

“I do my strength and conditioning in the PI, and every now and then we’ll do mitts and stuff or like a circuit training day over there, but mostly the bulk is done here at Xtreme Couture.”

Soriano saw a slight delay in his promotional debut when he was initially scheduled to take on Adam Yandiev at UFC 242 in September. A knee injury forced Yandiev out of the fight, and the bout was scrapped from the card.

Two months later, Soriano got to make the walk and delivered in spectacular fashion.

“Yeah, there was a little jitters, but almost in a different way like the week and even the warm-up, everything was too good,” Soriano said. “I was a little nervous. I was going to jinx myself. Everything just felt really good and too perfect, but it ended up working out.”

Soriano takes on fellow Las-Vegas based fighter Eric Spicely (12-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 8.

“I’ve seen him a few times here and there,” Soriano said. “We haven’t trained together from what I recall, but he’s always seemed like a cool dude.”

UFC on ESPN 8 takes place March 28 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The card streams on ESPN.

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Catching up with Puna Soriano | Off Guard

You never know when “Gorgeous” George or “Goze” will catch somebody “Off Guard.” This time they catch up with UFC middleweight Puna Soriano.

You never know when “Gorgeous” George or “Goze” will catch somebody “Off Guard.” This time they catch up with UFC middleweight Puna Soriano.

UFC 245 salaries: Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington top list of disclosed paydays

A total of 12 fighters made north of six figures Saturday at UFC 245, and that number increases when post-fight bonuses are factored in.

Main event combatants [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] each pocketed $500,000 for their respective efforts at UFC 245.

MMA Junkie recently obtained the list of the disclosed paydays for Saturday night’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovksi[/autotag], who won the belt in the evening’s co-main event, earned $250,000 for his performance. Former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], who lost the belt, took home a $350,000.

UFC women’s double champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] pocketed $450,000 for her bantamweight title defense against [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. Dutch challenger de Randamie earned $100,000.

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Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] was the fourth highest-paid athlete on the card. Despite losing to [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] in his drop to bantamweight, Aldo earned $400,000.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $4,096,000.

The full list of disclosed UFC 245 paydays included:

  • Kamaru Usman: $500,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Colby Covington: $500,000
  • Alexander Volkanovski: $250,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Max Holloway: $350,000
  • Amanda Nunes: $450,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Germaine de Randamie: $100,000
  • Marlon Moraes: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus)
    def. Jose Aldo: $400,000
  • [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $122,000 (includes $66,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $250,0000
  • [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $90,000
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $110,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $50,000
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $18,000
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $25,000
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $45,000
  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $20,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses to Yan and Aldana for “Performance of the Night,” and Usman and Covington for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC 245 medical suspensions: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, others face potential lengthy layoffs

As you might expect, Colby Covington is going to be out awhile after UFC 245. But Kamaru Usman could be on the shelf as well.

Seven fighters are facing lengthy medical suspensions after a hard-hitting night of action at UFC 245.

Both main event combatants, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], face 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their back-and-forth main event.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) retained his welterweight championship, but not without sacrificing his well-being. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has been suspended 180 days or until X-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician.

Meanwhile, Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been suspended 180 days or until his nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Additionally, newly crowned UFC featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is up for a potential 180 days suspension as well, for a potentially broken hand suffered against Max Holloway in the evening’s co-main event.

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Four other fighters could see 180-day suspensions for various injuries, including bantamweight contender [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], and [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired the full list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which you can read below:

  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days or until eye injury is cleared by physician; no contact for 21 days due to cut on left cheek
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray/MRI of right hand and x-ray of right foot and left tibia/fibia are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyebrow
  • [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Ian Henisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: No Suspension
  • [autotag]Ketlen Viera[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Geoff Neal: Suspended for 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Mike Perry: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right foot is cleared by an orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyelid
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to leg pain
  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Colby Covington: Suspended 180 days or until nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days

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Watch Puna Soriano score brutal knockout of Oskar Piechota at UFC 245

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.

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+.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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