Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano prediction, pick for UFC Fight Night 287

Dan Tom, MMA JunkieSat, September 5, 2026 at 2:15 AM UTC

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Daniil Donchenko and Punahele Sorianomeet on the UFC Fight Night 287 main cardSaturday at Accor Arena in Paris. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event's results: 3-3

UFC main cards, 2026: 96-53-1

Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano UFC Fight Night 287 preview

Donchenko (14-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is undefeated in the UFC thus far, beating Rodrigo Sezinando, Alex Morono and Theodor Berggren.

Soriano (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) enters on a four-fight winning streak that includes wins over Miguel Baeza, Uros Medic, Nikolay Veretennikov and Ramiz Brahimaj.

Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano UFC Fight Night 287 expert pick, prediction

In what could be a potential welterweight war, Punahele Soriano welcomes the oncoming Daniil Donchenko.

Although I was initially doubtful of Donchenko's move to welterweight, the Ukrainian wildman has made a solid account for himself thus far. That said, I suspect this is a spot where we really see Donchenko tested.

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My admitted bias for a fellow Hawaiian training at Xtreme Couture MMA aside, Soriano is a former middleweight who brings excellent experience, wrestling and fight-changing power to the table.

Donchenko may officially stand at 1-0 against UFC-level lefties (beating a short-notice debutant in Theodor Berggren), but I didn't like how fast and loose he played in the southpaw power lanes.

For that reason, I'll officially pick Soriano to score the upset with a knockout in Round 2.

Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano UFC Fight Night 287 odds

The oddsmakers and the public favor the Ukrainian fighter, listing Donchenko -240 and Soriano +190 via FanDuel.

Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano UFC Fight Night 287 start time, how to watch

Donchenko and Soriano are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 4:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano prediction, pick for UFC Fight Night 287

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