Porterville produces fighters, men and women who rise through adversity, who work hard, who don’t make excuses. Few stories embody that spirit more than Joe Soto.

Born and raised right here in Porterville, Joe became a California State High School Wrestling Champion in 2005. He carried that discipline forward to college, earning Two-Time NJCAA All-American honors at Iowa Central Community College. The same powerhouse wrestling program that produced multiple national champions.

Joe continued his career, sharpening his craft, stepping into the world stage of mixed martial arts. Joe became the inaugural Bellator Featherweight World Champion, holding that title with determination and resilience. He later fought in the UFC, where he stepped into a Bantamweight World Title fight against TJ Dil

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