Joe Soto rode an impressive six-fight winning streak into the UFC prior to succumbing to a disappointing three-fight skid in his first three bouts under the promotion’s banner
Soto, a fighter who is used to the ups and downs of the fight game, believes his mental fortitude helped him reverse that slide. Currently 3-0 in his last three bouts, Soto feels as though he is on the right track to building upon a welcome upturn in fortunes:
“I think I’m finally kind of getting used to the process,” Soto told MMAWeekly.com. “Obviously, getting over that (TJ) Dillashaw knockout mentally was kind of hard to get back from. That was a process getting over that, then getting that first win, and then getting used to the process of the UFC.
“I went down to Colin Oyama’s and trained there for my last free fights and it got me back on track. Things are going good. I feel strong again and I’m used to the UFC process.”
Having experienced streaks and pitfalls in the past, Soto is confident that he is on the track:
“I’m that type of fighter, I’m really streaky,” said Soto. “When I first started off I was on a nine-fight winning streak, then I lost two, then I got back on a six fight winning streak, then I lost three, and now I’ve won three. I think I had a lot of things to overcome, but I’m in a good place right now.”
Soto faces Brett Johns on the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, where he will bid to pick up his fourth win on the bounce:
“It could be an interesting fight, a tough fight, actually,” Soto said. “We have similar styles: we both like to grapple, like to take people down, and (Johns is) kind of a boxer like me. He’s a tough fighter too. It’s an intriguing match-up. I’m curious to see how it will play out.”
