Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight Joe Soto just had the opportunity of a lifetime appear right before his eyes when title challenger Renan Barao dropped out of his rematch with TJ Dillashaw due to illness.

Officials of the UFC called Soto to fill in Barao's spot. This gives Soto the distinction of being the first fighter to have a debut title fight in the octagon. Winning the title from Dillashaw would engrave his name in the history books.

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In a recent interview with Soto, he identified UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones as his inspiration for his upcoming fight.

He was roommates and wrestling teammates with Jones. Soto commented that if Jones could do it, then so could he.

"Anybody can attain it," he said. "It's just mental, you have to believe."

While this Soto's first fight in the UFC, he is no stranger to the title picture.

In the past, Soto was crowned as the first featherweight champion in rival organization, Bellator Mixed Martial Arts. He eventually lost the belt to Joe Warren and moved on to the organization Tachi Palace Fights.

At Tachi, Soto went on to win the bantamweight championship before he got the call from the UFC.

He is currently riding a six-fight win streak and comes in to the fight with the experience of 17 professional fights. He relies primarily on his jiu-jitsu, with eight out of his 15 wins coming by way of submission.

Most people are not giving Soto any chances though. Pundits and analysts are siding with Dillashaw because of his footwork, technical striking, and wrestling pedigree.

However, that was exactly how everyone reacted when Dillashaw first challenged Renan Barao for the title.

Dillashaw also used the term "believe" as fuel for his fight then and ended up dominating the fight and eventually winning the bantamweight championship.

TagsJoe Soto, UFC, TJ Dillashaw, Renan Barão