UFC Fight Night 106 Results: Joe Soto defeats Rani Yahya

A bantamweight scrap between Joe Soto and Rani Yahya took place during tonight’s UFC Fight Night 106 prelims in Brazil.

Round one begins and Yahya charges forward with a high kick and then a flurry of punches. Soto blocks most of the strikes but Rani partially catches him with another high kick. Joe circles out and then blasts Yahya with a right hand that floors him. Rani immediately pops back up but eats a left hand from Soto. Yahya with a good left hand of his own. Soto shakes it off and presses forward. Rani with a good kick to the body but Joe counters that with a right hand. Yahya retreats but then lunges forward with a combination. Rani follows that up with a takedown attempt but it is not there. Joe is using a lot of forward pressure here but is having trouble finding his range. Rani leaps in with a combo. He gets Soto to the floor. Joe wraps up a guillotine choke but Yahya quickly escapes the hold. Rani working from half guard now. Round one comes to an end.

Round two begins and Yahya misses with a big right hand to start. Soto presses forward and catches Yahya with a punch. The fighters clash heads and a huge gash is opened up on the forehead of Soto. The doctor is called in to check the cut. He allows the bout to continue. Soto quickly shoots in and scores a takedown and moves to the back of Rani. Yahya scrambles and is able to get back to his feet. Joe is utilizing a lot of forward pressure here. He is landing his jab now. A good right from Soto. A high kick counter lands for Rani. Soto eats it and continues to press forward. He lands a right and then a left. Soto connects with a good punch and Rani dives in for a desperate takedown attempt. It is not there. Soto continues to connect with jabs. He lands a hard right. Rani takes a step backwards. He circles and then leaps in with a left hand. Soto eats it and lands a combination of his own. Another desperate looking takedown attempt from Rani. Soto smiles and lands another combo. He takes Yahya to the floor and begins battering him with strikes. Round two comes to an end.

Round three begins and Soto looks to be the fresher fighter. He lands a right but Yahya fires back with a left. Both men are trading in the pocket here. Rani shoots in for a takedown but it is not there. Soto uses the shot attempt to take top position and moves to side control. A big elbow lands for Joe. He takes the back of Yahya and begins raining down some right hands. He is all over Yahya here. More big shots from Joe. Rani scrambles but can’t get Soto off of him. Joe looks to lock up the neck of Yahya but then opts to take his back and work some more ground and pound. Yahya is able to scramble and get back to his feet. He misses with a spinning back fist attempt. But presses forward and lands a combination. Soto shoots in and lands another takedown. Round three comes to an end.