Punahele Michael Soriano, also known as Puna, is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is currently ranked #15 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
Soriano has a professional record of 9 wins and 3 losses, with 6 wins by knockout and 2 by submission. He is known for his explosive power, aggressive style, and wrestling background.
Punahele Soriano is a professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is one of the rising stars in the sport, having won all four of his UFC fights so far. He is also known for his explosive striking and knockout power, earning him the nickname “Puna Bomber”.
Punahele Soriano has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of now. Image Source: Instagram@punahele_soriano
The athlete is estimated to have a net worth of $1 million. His main source of income is his career as a professional mixed martial artist. As some reports, he has earned $174,000 from his four UFC fights so far. He also has sponsorship deals with Monster Energy and other brands.
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Soriano was born on November 22, 1992, in Wailua, Kauai County, Hawaii. He went to high school on the North Shore of Oahu, which is home to Kahuku. He played football, wrestling, and judo at the collegiate level.
The UFC Star continued his wrestling career at Wartburg College in Iowa, where he finished seventh in the 2014 NCAA Championships at 197 pounds, good enough to earn All-America honors. He made history by being Hawaii's first-ever Division III wrestling qualifier.
Soriano’s interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) started through his friend and current UFC fighter Dan Ige, who invited him to help train MMA fighters in wrestling. He decided to pursue a career in MMA after graduating from college.
Soriano submitted his opponent in the first round of his professional MMA debut on January 28, 2017, at X-1 World Events 45 in Hawaii.
After that, he relocated to the mainland where he competed in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), Titan FC, V3 Fights, and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), among others. He was undefeated and finished seven of his matches in the first round with knockouts or submissions.
Punahele Soriano competes as a professional in the UFC. Image Source: Instagram@punahele_soriano
After competing on Dana White's Contender Series show on June 18, 2019, Soriano was given the opportunity to join the UFC. A UFC contract was awarded to him after he defeated Jamie Pickett through a unanimous decision. On December 14, 2019, at UFC 245, he made his UFC debut and won via first-round knockout over Oskar Piechota.
In his next two UFC bouts, Soriano knocked out his opponents in the first round, doing so with Dusko Todorovic and Dalcha Lungiambula. On July 24, 2021, he lost to Brendan Allen via unanimous decision, his first UFC loss. The next time he fought, on January 14, 2023, he defeated Roman Kopylov via second-round knockout.
When it comes to the middleweight category in the UFC, Soriano is one of the most exciting up-and-comers. His striking and grappling skills have allowed him to successfully end fights. He also wants to lead the next generation of Hawaiian warriors to victory.
Soriano has shown his interest in increasing his fighting frequency and career standing. Some of his potential rivals, like Brad Tavares, Kevin Holland, and Sean Strickland, have already responded to his challenges. He has long-term ambitions of winning the UFC middleweight championship.
Whenever he enters the ring, the crowd is guaranteed to be thrilled and entertained. He's on the up-and-up, and his future seems promising. Punahele Soriano has come to make an appearance.
Punahele Soriano is a mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Soriano is not married, but he has a long-term girlfriend named Aarica Barcina.
Punahele Soriano with his girlfriend Aarica Barcina Image Source: Instagram@punahele_soriano
They have been together for at least five years and often share their photos on social media. They are based in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they train at Xtreme Couture. Xtreme Couture is a renowned gym that has produced many UFC champions and Hall of Famers, such as Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, and Miesha Tate.
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Punahele Soriano’s parents’ identities are not known to the public, but he has shared that he inherited his Filipino heritage from his father and his Hawaiian ancestry from his mother.
Soriano’s high school education was at Kahuku High School in Laie, Hawaii, where he excelled in wrestling and judo and won state titles in both sports.
In addition, he continued his wrestling career at Wartburg College, a Division III school in Iowa, where he was an All-American and had an 80-29 record by the time he graduated. He earned a degree in business administration in 2015.
