Fernando Padilla makes UFC debut vs. Sean Soriano on Oct. 2 card

A featherweight prospect from Mexico will make his UFC debut this fall.

Fernando Padilla (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will have his first fight against Sean Soriano (14-7 MMA, 0-4 UFC) on the UFC’s Oct. 2 card. A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.

The UFC’s Oct. 2 card does not yet have a publicly announced venue or location, but is likely to air and stream on a combination of ESPN and ESPN+.

Padilla has won four of his past fie fights, including a pair of victories under the LFA banner. In May, he finished Cameron Graves with a second-round TKO to win the Fury FC featherweight title. The event came the night before UFC 262 in Houston, and UFC president Dana White was in attendance scouting fighters. He signed Padilla after his win.

Soriano still is in search of his first UFC win. He returned to the promotion for his second stint in May on a three-fight winning streak, but was submitted by Christos Giagos with a second-round D’Arce choke at UFC 262.

In Soriano’s first stint with the company, he went 0-3 in 2014-2015 after an 8-0 start to his pro career. After his release, he fought for the likes of Legacy FC, CES MMA and CFFC before working his way back to the majors.

With the addition, the UFC’s Oct. 2 lineup now includes:

• Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker
• Bethe Correia vs. Karol Rosa
• Jared Gordon vs. Joe Solecki
• Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
• Fernando Padilla vs. Sean Soriano