LAS VEGAS – UFC middleweight Punahele Soriano thinks an infection nearly took his life.

Soriano (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) returns to action after six months on the sideline at UFC Fight Night 217 to face Roman Kopylov. The bout takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

After his last win, a second-round knockout of Dalcha Lungiambula in July, Soriano was sidelined with a broken hand. At media day Wednesday, he revealed that wasn’t the only issue he faced during his time away from the cage.

“I didn’t really tell anyone, but I got super, super sick,” Soriano told reporters. “I think I almost died. I had like shingles, that turned into cellulitis like on my face and under my heart.

“It was funny, I ended up going to the E.R. They had to give me antibiotics and all that crap. But the night before, I remember just laying on the couch and it felt like I was in a chokehold. I was like, ‘This could be the night I don’t wake up.’ I was like, ‘Well, I hope I just wake up.’ And then I went to bed. But I woke up.”

Soriano told the scary story in a jovial manner, and even showed off the discoloration and scarring left on his face and chest from the skin infection.

Now that the infection is gone and his hand is healed, he is anxious to get back to work against a “monster” in Kopylov (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), and set the tone for his team.

“He put away (Alessio) Di Chirico pretty well, and I’m excited to go up against him,” Soriano said. “He’s good everywhere and I’m ready to fight him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 217.