Joe Soto stepped up in a huge way Saturday night. Friday before the weigh-ins, Soto was supposed to face Anthony Birchak on the undercard. Then, when Renan Barao was forced to pull out of the fight, Soto stepped up to face the champion, TJ Dillashaw, on little more than 24 hours’ notice.
Soto came absolutely ready to fight, and although Dillashaw won the first four rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, it was by no means a blowout.
In the fifth, Dillashaw landed a head kick to end a long combination and earn a knockout win.
While Soto did lose, his stock went way up following this fight. It’s highly likely he’ll be ranked in the top 10 when the updated rankings are released.
That opens up a wealth of opportunities for his next fight, so let’s check out three potential fights.