From Bellator Champion to UFC title challenger to nearly getting cut, Joe Soto has battled back to win three straight fights in UFC's Bantamweight division.
Soto actually lost his first three fights in the UFC, taking almost two years to win his first. After stepping up to save the UFC 177 pay-per-view in 2014, it appeared he was given a longer leash than most. Because of that, he's now made a habit of beating opponents in their backyard -- defeating Marco Beltran in Mexico and Rani Yahya in Brazil.
For once, Soto is finally fighting a little closer to home, taking on Brett Johns at the TUF 26 Finale in the states. He's expecting a quick victory over the undefeated fighter.
"Hopefully by submission really fast. We'll see. You never know with these fights. Everyone's so athletic, so good, you just have to show up and be on," said Soto to Fightful.com's James Lynch.
Soto told us that he thinks he's finally finding his groove, and has been training with former UFC fighter David Terrell. Soto revealed that after only two fights in 2017, he'll look to be more active moving forward.
"It'd be cool to get back in there right in January, but February at the latest," Soto told us. "I want to stay busy next year, for sure. I want to try to get five fights in if I can."
In the full interview, Joe Soto (18-5) discusses his upcoming fight against Brett Johns (14-0) at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale on Dec. 1. Joe also talks about how he almost took a short notice fight in the summer, his training camp for this matchup and how he wants to stay busy in 2018.
