Back in June, Punahele Soriano returned to the path of victory by shattering a record in the process. In the fight that opened the UFC Louisville main card, the Hawaiian middleweight collected his fourth promotional victory by beating Miguel Baeza, who had not competed since April 2022. During his overwhelming performance, Soriano, who ended up winning by unanimous decision, broke the record for most significant strikes on the ground (136) in UFC history.

With such a stunning performance, everyone is now excited to see the UFC middleweight go toe-to-toe with Uros Medic at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, Nevada. But before he stuns us again with another possible record-breaking performance, fans want to know more about the new middleweight prospect. So, without further ado, let’s dive deep and find out about the Hawaiian middleweight’s ethnicity and fight journey.

All we know about Punahele Soriano’s ethnicity, nationality, and family

Soriano is a second-generation Filipino-American. Just like his parents, he too was born in the United States. He hails from the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and identifies as an American. Regarding his family, he told Philstar.com, “I think it was my grandparents who were born in the Philippines, but where – I don’t know.” And not much is known about his parents or siblings.

Despite being born and raised in America, Soriano is not completely out of touch with his Filipino roots. The 32-year-old fighter loves eating Filipino food at his house, and while he is unable to speak the language, he does know a few slang and cuss words, which would probably help him trash talk if he ever came across a fighter from the archipelagic nation.

How did Punahele Soriano start fighting?

Before Punahele Soriano got into the world of mixed martial arts, he spent his life as a part-time teacher and bouncer. With a degree in fitness management from Wartburg College, being in the UFC wasn’t something he exactly dreamed of. Growing up, Soriano loved wrestling, becoming the Hawaiian State Champion in high school. So high level was his wrestling that he earned the All-American status at the 2014 NCAA wrestling championships.

However, life took a turn for the better when the Filipino-American met Dan Ige. In a Q&A with the UFC, the 32-year-old fighter said, “I started training because I was invited to go work out with Dan Ige. At first, I was just going to the wrestling once a week, then I eventually started going every day.” Before he knew it, he was already a pro-MMA fighter after making his debut in 2017. Soriano became a force to be reckoned with, racking up a series of first-round wins in promotions such as Titan FC and LFA.

So, to nobody’s surprise, the UFC soon came knocking and offered Soriano an opportunity to be a part of Dana White‘s Contender Series. Since then, the fighter has been 4-4 in the UFC and will now be looking to grab his fifth win against Uros Medic at UFC Vegas 101. What do you think? Will he be able to win the fight? Let us know in the comments.