Kawajiri started going for takedowns which were brilliantly defended by Soriano in the beginning. But the Japanese fighter finally got the takedown after several attempts.
He slowly maneuvered to his back, securing both hooks in, and then a figure-four lock around Soriano’s mid section.
The Japanese vet then battered his opponent with repeated punches to the head, ending the round with some relentless punches. But Soriano fought through every one of them and showcased some great resilience.
As we got into the second stages of the second round, Kawajiri landed another takedown near the cage, and managed to lock in a Rear-Naked Choke this time around. Soriano went to sleep and the referee stopped the contest.
With that win, Kawajiri is now 5-0 since dropping down to Featherweight. Soriano, meanwhile, suffered the agony of facing his first ever defeat.
For UFC Fight Night 34 results, click here.