Alex Soto
Bantamweight fighters Alex Soto (6-1-1) and UFC newcomer Azamat Gashimov (7-1) are scheduled to meet this coming May as part of the UFC on FUEL TV 3 card in Virginia.
UFC president Dana White announced the matchup on Wednesday.
Another contender is entering the UFC’s bantamweight division as Azamat Gashimov makes his promotional debut against Alex Soto. “The aggressive styles of these fighters should make for a action-packed fight,” said UFC president Dana White.
The UFC on FUEL TV 3 event is expected to take place on May 15, 2012 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The bout between Soto and Gashimov will certainly appear on the nights preliminary card and is the twelfth match announced for the event.
Soto suffered his first loss last November, making his UFC debut at UFC 139 versus Michael McDonald. Soto would suffer a knockout loss in the first minute of the San Jose show, replacing an injured Johnny Eduardo at the event. Previous to that, Soto had competed at the Deep 54 show in Japan, fighting Seiji Akao to a draw, and had earned six straight wins in various promotions in Mexico and California.
Gashimov hails from Russia and enters the Octagon on a two fight win streak. His last fight took place in July of last year, ending in a 52-second victory for Gashimov who used an armbar submission to tap his opponent. The bout with Soto will represent the first bout outside of Russia and the Ukraine for him.