So when Bryan Caraway withdrew from the Fresno bout, Soukhamthath stepped up and raised his hand.
“I felt like I had to call the shot and get the fight,” he said. “Luke Sanders is tough and it was around Thanksgiving, so no one’s gonna want to cut the weight or take the fight on basically a week and a half’s notice. I did.”
And he won, stopping Sanders in the second round. It was a moment he can’t even put into words.
“The emotions that I was feeling were indescribable,” Soukhamthath said. “I put so much into this sport, and not only me, but my wife and my kids. They go through every fight camp, they go through the trials and tribulations and ups and downs. My family is really behind me on this. This is the way I make a living, and I was just really happy that I secured my job in the UFC and showed them the real me.”
He more than secured it, signing a new five-fight deal with the promotion that begins with a UFC 222 main card fight against rising star Sean O’Malley.
“It’s definitely a big deal for me,” he said of his first UFC Pay-Per-View appearance. “It’s good to get recognition. I’ve been in the game for a long time and to get that recognition by the UFC, it’s an opportunity and I’m very thankful for it.”
Albert Morales and Alejandro Perez, with the win over Sanders, he proved that he belonged. And he has no intention of leaving.
“One thing for sure is that you can’t count me out,” he said. “I’ve never been finished in a fight and a lot of my losses are split decisions. I fight until the final bell rings. I’m always gonna fight.”