Next month’s UFC Fight Night 106 lineup has its 13th confirmed bout.
Officials today announced a bantamweight fight between veterans Joe Soto (17-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Rani Yahya (23-8 MMA, 8-2 UFC).
UFC Fight Night 106 takes place March 11 at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. The main card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, though the bout order hasn’t been finalized.
Yahya is an honorable mention in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings; Soto isn’t ranked.
Soto, a former Bellator and Tachi Palace Fights competitor, began his UFC run in 2014 with a three-fight skid, which included a late-notice title loss to then-champ T.J. Dillashaw in his promotional debut. Following subsequent defeats to Anthony Birchak and Michinori Tanaka, the 29-year-old found himself in a must-win situation and has responded with back-to-back submission victories over Chris Beal and Marco Beltran.
Yahya, a former WEC title challenger who won three “Submission of the Night” bonuses with the promotion, is currently riding a four-fighting winning streak while inching up the 135-pound ladder. In his most recent appearance, the 32-year-old Brazilian fighter and world champion jiu-jitsu black belt, who has 17 submissions in 23 career wins, scored a decision victory over Michinori Tanaka.
The latest UFC Fight Night 106 lineup now includes:
For more on UFC Fight Night 106, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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