UFC 245 video: Punahele Soriano debuts with sensational first-round KO
Punahele Soriano showed that his Contender Series contract was well-deserved on Saturday.
The debuting Hawaiian needed just 3:17 to shut down Oskar Piechota in the opening bout of UFC 245 in Las Vegas, landing a powerful combination to score his first Octagon knockout.
Soriano was aggressive throughout the contest, rocking Piechota early and stifling the Pole’s attempts to battle back.
Wasting NO TIME here early! ⏰@Puna185 showing why he earned his spot in the Octagon here! #UFC245 pic.twitter.com/0Iilvhnuiu
— UFC (@ufc) December 14, 2019
With Piechota on the back foot the whole time, there was no stopping Soriano from eventually finding his chin.
This was Soriano’s first fight since earning a UFC contract on the Contender Series in June. He won a decision over Jamie Pickett to impress Dana White and his performance Saturday certainly validated the UFC president’s decision to sign him.