Puna Soriano out of UFC on ESPN 8, rebooked for May event; Eric Spicely gets new opponent

Puna Soriano won’t compete at UFC on ESPN 8 after all, but it didn’t take long for his next fight to be booked.

Originally expected to face Eric Spicely March 28 in Columbus, Ohio, Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) now will meet Anthony Hernandez on May 16 at an event expected to take place in San Diego.

As for Spicely (12-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC), the submission will remain on UFC on ESPN 8 card to take on Roman Kopylov instead.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the Soriano-Hernandez booking but asked to remain anonymous as the UFC has yet to make an announcement. The promotion announced Spicely vs. Kopylov (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Friday.

After earning a UFC contract on “Dana White’s Contender Series,” Soriano made his promotional debut at UFC 245 in December. Taking on Oskar Piechota, Soriano leveled his Polish opponent en route to a knockout victory in Round 1. Soriano, 27, has finished six of seven opponents with five knockouts and one submission to his name.

Also a DWCS signee, Hernandez (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will look to turn a win into a winning streak. His most recent fight came in August, when he submitted Jun Yong Park by second-round anaconda choke. A former LFA champion, Hernandez has gone to decision only once. The MMA Gold Fight Team product has five submission victories.