Tony “Loco” Soto is pushing all his chips to the middle of the table.
Soto recently resigned from his career as a correctional officer so he could focus solely on his fighting career. The task at hand now is Franco Tenaglia, who Soto will fight for the vacant BKFC World Lightweight Title at BKFC on DAZN: Spain on Oct. 12 at the legendary Marbella Arena in Marbella, Spain.
Soto-Tenaglia will serve as the Main Event of BKFC’s hugely anticipated promotional debut in the country. Both fighters are undefeated – Soto is 6-0 and Tenaglia is 3-0 – and both are hungry to stake their claim as the best 155-pound bare knuckle fighter in the world.
“I’ve trained more for this fight than any other fight in my life,” Soto says ahead of his showdown with Tenaglia. “This is the first time in my entire fighting career where my only job has been training.”
Soto established himself as one of the top bare knuckle fighters on the planet while balancing his training with a full-time career. He’s still a very involved family man and recently opened his own boxing gym in his native Hickory, NC – but he’s hoping his single mindedness on his own training will pay off with a big win in Spain.
“I know my opponent is aggressive, but I’m going to be the one who overwhelms him,” he says. “I see him lunging right into my shots and me just doing what I always do – overcome, adjust and attack.”
Soto says he isn’t leaving Spain without the BKFC belt around his waist.
“This will absolutely be a life-changing moment in my life and career.”
