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Daniil Donchenko news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Daniil Donchenko, 3-0 in UFC, faces Punahele Soriano at UFC Paris on Sep 5, 2026.
A win could put the Ukrainian prospect into the welterweight rankings.
Background
Daniil Donchenko is a 25-year-old Ukrainian welterweight who won The Ultimate Fighter 33 and has gone 3-0 in the UFC since his 2025 debut. He is on a seven-fight win streak and trains at Tiger Muay Thai. At UFC Paris, he faces Punahele Soriano, who has won four straight fights after back-to-back losses in 2023. The fight is part of UFC Fight Night 287 at Accor Arena in Paris.
How it unfolded
- Sep 13, 2025Donchenko defeated Rodrigo Sezinando at Noche UFC in San Antonio, Texas.
- Feb 7, 2026Donchenko defeated Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
- Jun 27, 2026Donchenko finished Theodor Berggren at UFC Fight Night in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- Sep 4, 2026Donchenko and Soriano faced off at the ceremonial weigh-in at Accor Arena in Paris.
- Sep 5, 2026Donchenko is scheduled to fight Soriano on the main card of UFC Fight Night 287.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- MMA Junkie's Dan Tom notes Donchenko is undefeated in the UFC and sees this as a test of his potential.
- Bears
- Some analysts question whether Donchenko is ready for a streaking veteran like Soriano, calling him 'nowhere near a finished prospect.'