Weight Class: Featherweight
Record: 6-1
Age: 28
Height: 5’8”
Born In: Venezuela
Training Out Of: Inside Muay Thai
Combined Opponent Records (at the time they fought): 31-21
Key Wins: N/A
After going 3-0 in 2025 and only a month removed from his last fight, Venezuela’s Leandro Solano returns this week to meet João Pedro Moreira in the main event of R1 Fighting Series 6 in Brazil.
Solano made his pro MMA debut in 2021 and stopped the formerly-undefeated Jefferson Lorenzo with the strikes in the second round, and it was two and a half years before Solano returned for his sophomore outing and also finished Jean Carlos Silva late in their fight after battering the Brazilian with ground and pound for the majority of the bout.
“El Loco” picked up his first win via decision in his next outing before a meeting with Pedro Doreto at LFA 187 ended after the first round due to damage Solano sustained to his right eye, which came courtesy of Doreto’s elbows while he was fending off takedowns on the cage. The 28-year-old ended up being out of action for more than a year but made up for lost time upon his return, stopping back-to-back opponents with ground and pound before he most recently took a unanimous decision over Vitor Zmish at Thunder Fight 54 for his third win in the span of less than four months.
Solano typically wastes very little time before shooting for his first takedown. He likes to step into hard outside low kicks and will quickly grab ahold of an opponent’s leg if they try to return the attack, and on the feet he also relies heavily on throwing big right hands as both a counter and lead shot to help set up his takedowns.
The 28-year-old can be guilty of shooting for naked takedown attempts a bit too often, but he does a good job of getting to his opponent’s hips and is quick to switch up to a single leg attempt if the opportunity presents itself. Solano also excels at bringing his opposition down using trips or throws if he can establish a body lock, and he often ends up right in side control as soon as things hit the mat.
Once things have hit the canvas, Solano does an excellent job of maintaining top pressure while looking for openings to move into mount. He does a good job of landing strikes with his free hand during this process, and the Venezuelan also makes things miserable for his opponents by applying both forearm and shoulder pressure to their heads while he’s in top position.
“El Loco” ideally wants to get into mount so he can start unloading with savage ground and pound that features both huge punches and nasty elbows. He’s willing to at least look for a rear naked choke if an opponent turns to their knees and he’s able to get his hooks in, although it’s his ferocious striking on the ground that’s been the defining characteristic of his career so far.
The loss to Doreto certainly showcased how Solano can struggle when he isn’t able to get an opponent to the ground, and as mentioned earlier he can be a bit too predictable in his takedown attempts from open space. He’s still a wildly entertaining fighter when he does get things to the mat and can start working his ground and pound, and his next fight against Moreira should be the most significant test he’s faced since that 2024 meeting with the still-undefeated Doreto.