Bellator Champion Soto Booked for May 20 Super Fight

Bellator Fighting Championships featherweight titleholder Joe Soto will square off with UFC veteran Diego Saraiva in what the promotion hails as a non-title “Super Fight” on May 20. A venue for the event has not yet been announced.

“This is a great matchup between two extremely tough fighters -- one who’s on his way up and one who’s in the midst of a great comeback,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “Diego will be a great test for Joe as he prepares to defend his belt later this year. As a fan first and foremost, this should be a great fight to watch”

Unbeaten in eight professional bouts, Soto last appeared in October, when he submitted Mike Christensen with a first-round gogoplata at a Tachi Palace Fights show in Lemoore, Calif. The 23-year-old ascended to Bellator’s featherweight throne in 2009, with tournament wins over Ben Greer, EliteXC veteran Wilson Reis and Yahir Reyes. Soto, who has finished six of his eight foes inside one round, wrestled alongside UFC standouts Cain Velasquez and Jon Jones at Iowa Central Community College.

“Joe’s a really tough wrestler; I was really impressed by him,” Saraiva said. “So I’m going to be trying to block the takedown and win the fight on my feet. I feel like I’ve found a new home at 145. At 155, I always was feeling like the little guy. Now, I’m more powerful and a lot faster, too. I think Joe and I are going to give the Bellator fans a great show.”

Saraiva will carry a five-fight winning streak into his promotional debut. The 27-year-old Atlanta-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has not competed since he stopped Eddie Yagin on a third-round technical knockout under the Tachi Palace Fights banner in December. A veteran of 26 bouts, Saraiva has never been finished and has secured more than half (12) of his 17 victories by submission.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Diego,” Soto said. “He has almost 30 fights as a pro and is on a real hot streak since he dropped down to 145, but I’m in the best shape of my career. I feel that I can compete with anybody at 145 right now. I’m looking forward to the fight.”