Prediction: Punahele Soriano inside the distance
At middleweight, Puna was always a guy known for pounching power. He’d load up, look for the knockout, leaving himself open fo counters and burning too much energy early. But since making the move to 170, you can see he’s done this the right way. He didn’t just cut the weight recklessly; he actually slimmed down, tightened up his frame, and got into real fighting shape. It shows not just in how he looks but in how he fights. His cardio is finally backing up his skillset. He’s blending his striking with his wrestling, he’s pushing a pace, and that version of Soriano is a serious problem for someone like Nikolay.
The biggest difference maker here is the wrestling. Soriano’s shown he’s actually willing to lean on that part of his game now, and at welterweight, he has the strength and gas to keep it going without burning himself out. Nikolay’s takedown defense just isn’t there, and if he’s struggling to stuff shots, it’s only going to get worse as the fight drags on. Meanwhile, Soriano’s power at 185 has carried down with him, but the scary part is he’s no longer banking on it. He can still crack, but now he’s mixing that with a grindy style that makes him way more dangerous.
So while Nikolay has the ability to land something big, his best weapons are too easy to read.Soriano has the cardio advantage, sharper game planning, and wrestling edge.