When undefeated 22-year old Joe Soto entered Bellator Fighting Championships’ inaugural featherweight tournament earlier this year, it was with little hype and even less fanfare. Since emerging from the tournament with the Featherweight Championship and $175,000 in overall prize money, Soto has made a name for himself in one of the fastest-growing divisions in the sport. Following up his championship run with a first round gogoplata submission over Mike Christensen this month at Tachi Palace Fights in Lemoore, California, Soto believes he is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the best featherweights in the world.
The young prospect from the Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance recently spoke with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher in order to discuss his unheralded rise to the Bellator crown, his improvements in the gym, and maintaining his undefeated record going forward.
Tapology: Let’s talk about your last fight against Mike Christensen. How did you feel about your performance in that fight?
Soto: Coming from wrestling I am used to competing very often, so it was good to get back in there. I’m glad I got that submission; the fight went how I wanted it to go.
Tapology: That fight was obviously outside of Bellator. Was it difficult to get them to agree to that fight or were they good about it?
Soto: They were pretty understanding about it, letting me stay active.
Tapology: Are you still expecting to defend your featherweight title at the end of Bellator’s next tournament season?
Soto: Yes. I think I am scheduled to do a featured fight first at the beginning of the season, just to get another fight in, and then I’ll defend the title at the end of the tournament. The featured fight will probably be at a catch weight of about 150lbs. or something.
Tapology: You mentioned that your background is wrestling, but do you have a background in any other martial arts?
Soto: No, wrestling was my base. I started doing jiu-jitsu after, but it’s not my base.
Tapology: Would you consider ground control and submissions your biggest strength still?
Soto: I do think the ground is my strong point. I feel strong on the floor, and I think I can control pretty much everyone at my weight. I’m getting better with my standup too, but the ground is where I like to be.
Tapology: You are part of the Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance. Who makes up that team?
Soto: It is Dave Terrell’s team. He branched off of Cesar [Gracie]’s team, but it is a really good MMA school.
Tapology: I saw that your first fight was in 2006 and your next fight wasn’t until 2008. Was there an injury or some other issue that prevented you from getting back in there?
Soto: I was going to school during that time.
Tapology: You have been fighting more regularly for the past year or two, so is this an ideal career for you?
Soto: Yeah, I don’t work or anything, I just train every day, so I definitely consider this to be my career. I made that decision in July of 2008. All I do is train.
Tapology: You defeated Wilson Reis and Yahir Reyes to take Bellator’s featherweight belt this year. How did you feel about those performances and did you surprise yourself at all?
Soto: I wouldn’t say I surprised myself because I knew I had what it took to beat Wilson and to beat Yahir—I was pretty confident in my abilities—but I knew beating Wilson was going to put me on the map. He was a big name, and that was a big opportunity for me. I knew I had the style, the wrestling to stop him from taking me down and I knew I could outbox him, so after I beat him I was really confident going in against Yahir. I was pretty excited with how both matches turned out.
Tapology: You made $175,000 for winning that tournament. How big has that been for you financially after making peanuts on the local scene?
Soto: It’s been pretty nice. I just take it as a blessing, I don’t take it for granted, so I just go out there and perform and get paid.
Tapology: Regarding your weight class—145lbs.—do you feel comfortable at featherweight? You mentioned that you might have a catch weight bout at 150lbs.
Soto: I definitely like fighting at featherweight. I think it’s going to be my weight class for a long time to come.
Tapology: The WEC is the biggest stage right now for fighters in your weight class, such as Mike Thomas Brown, Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo. What do you think about those guys?
Soto: I think all of them are really tough and hopefully one day I’ll get the chance to compete against them. Right now I’m concentrating on keeping my belt for Bellator and making a name for myself. One day I would love to compete against a Mike Brown or a Jose Aldo.
Tapology: How many fights do you have signed with Bellator?
Soto: I want to say 6, maybe.
Tapology: Would you ever consider a move to the WEC after that contract is up?
Soto: Yeah, I would definitely consider it, but right now I’m really satisfied where I’m at. If it sounded like the right move in the future, then I would consider it.
Tapology: Bellator recently announced strategic partnerships to broadcast on FSN, NBC, and Telemundo. Does an announcement like that give you confidence in the promotion going forward?
Soto: It gets me excited about the future for myself, and it motivates me that much more just because I know my name will be out there a lot more. I heard about that, so I’m pretty excited about what the future holds for me and for Bellator.
Tapology: You are only 22 years old. Do you consider that to be an advantage in some ways?
Soto: I think it is definitely an advantage. I feel like I’m hungry, my body feels pretty fresh, and I feel like I have a lot to learn and a lot of time to develop myself into one of the best fighters in the world.
Tapology: What have you predominantly been working on in recent training camps? Have you made significant improvements in your striking?
Soto: I have. I feel like I’m improving in all aspect of the game—wrestling, Ju-Jitsu, and striking. I’ve been boxing so much, working on my technique, and I feel like I do have really good stand up. I haven’t used it because I can take people down and finish people easier that way, but I think that if I couldn’t take somebody down I could knock them out on the feet.
Tapology: How important is keeping that undefeated record intact to you?
Soto: It is very important. People know I’m somebody who hasn’t lost yet, and I feel like I have more stock since I’m undefeated as far as other promotions go. It’s a big deal, and I want to be considered the best fighter in the world someday, so I would like to remain undefeated.
Tapology: Thanks for the time Joe.
Soto: Thank you.
