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Punahele Soriano celebrates a win against Dalcha Lungiambula.
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Kahuku High alumnus Punahele Soriano scored a second-round knockout of Dalcha Lungiambula in a preliminary bout at middleweight on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card in New York.
Soriano (9-2, 3-2 UFC), earned a performance of the night bonus when he knocked out Lungiambula with a right hook 28 seconds into the second round.
After a competitive first round, Soriano countered a high kick with a left hand that sent Lungiambula backward to a knee before following up with a right hook that ended it.
Soriano was coming off back-to-back decision losses and hadn’t won a fight since January 2021.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Soriano said in a post-fight interview. “Two loses and to come out that way, it was crazy out there. I definitely blacked out, especially after the win. I got a little teary after. It felt good.”
Soriano said he thinks he may have broken his right hand during the fight.