UFC 320: Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov Preview & Prediction
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Middleweight finishers face off in an exiting 185 pound affair, pitting Punahele Soriano against Nikolay Veretennikov.
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov facts
What time are Punahele Soriano and Nikolay Veretennikov expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 320
What TV channel is UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 main card
Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira (Light Heavyweight)
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen (Bantamweight)
Jiri Prochazka vs Khalil Rountree Jr. (Light Heavyweight)
Josh Emmett vs Youssef Zalal (Featherweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 prelims
Ateba Abega Gautier vs Treston Vines (Middleweight)
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Andre Muniz (Middleweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs Farid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Daniel Santos vs Yoo Joo-sang (Featherweight)
Macy Chiasson vs Yana Santos (Women’s Bantamweight)
Patchy Mix vs Jakub Wiklacz (Bantamweight)
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov (Welterweight)
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Austin Vanderford (Welterweight)
Veronica Hardy vs Brogan Walker (Women’s Flyweight)
Punahele Soriano: Can "Puna" score his third successive victory?
While stoppage defeats to Roman Kopylov and Dustin Stoltzfus have established his ceiling as a UFC contender, Punahele Soriano (11-4) rarely finds himself in a boring fight. Graduating from DWCS with a win over Jamie Pickett in 2019, the 32 year old Soriano is an unashamed brawler who likes to march forward and throw big winging bombs in the pocket. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, “Puna” unquestionably poses a considerable degree of danger on the feet, scoring nasty KOs over the likes of Dusko Todorovic and Uros Medic in his most recent showing.
Nikolay Veretennikov: Veretennikov aims to build on the momentum of his very first UFC victory
Scoring a unanimous decision over Francisco Prado last time out, the last showing from Nikolay Veretennikov (13-6) may well have saved the Kazakh fighter’s job. Veretennikov began his UFC career with back to back defeats, losing by TKO to Austin Vanderford and dropping a split decision to Danny Barlow. With ten stoppages in thirteen professional victories, Veretennikov has proven to be an opportunistic finisher should the chance present itself. However, he’s also proven susceptible to going out on his shield in the process, with three of his six defeats coming by way of stoppage.
Punahele Soriano vs Nikolay Veretennikov prediction
This one should be fun while it lasts. Both fighters have a history of throwing caution to the wind in favor of engaging in an all out brawl. As such, it’s hard to escape the sensation that a knockout finish is fairly likely.
In a straight up firefight, it’s hard not to lean towards “Puna.” Soriano has legitimate one-punch KO power in his fists, starching his opponents with vicious punches in the early goings during most of his wins. Veretennikov may have picked up his first UFC victory last time out, but beating the 1-3 Francisco Prado by close decision isn’t much to write home about.
With that being said, the Kazakh fighter has proven extremely difficult to finish. While he technically got TKO’d on the ground by Austin Vanderford in his second UFC fight, there was a valid argument that the call was early given that he was actually blocking most of the strikes being landed. Outside of that controversial call, Veretennikov hasn’t lost by stoppage since the very early goings of his career.
However, “Puna” hits like a Mack truck and Veretennikov is also 35 years old. The Kazakh may ultimately survive to see a decision, but he's unlikely to be winning it.
Prediction: Punahele Soriano to win
