He is only 19 years old and has just three fights under his belt. But according to the experts, Redmond’s Sean Soliz appears to have an extremely bright future in mixed martial arts.

Chael Sonnen, a family friend and West Linn resident who just so happens to be one of the top middleweight contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), sees much potential in Soliz, a former wrestler whose father is a national wrestling coach.

“He is a tough guy, always has been,” says Sonnen, 34, who next week in Chicago will fight for a title shot in a bout scheduled to be televised by Fox.

“He was a strong-willed kid, always looking to compete, no matter how far away the competition was. He has never failed at anything. MMA (mixed martial arts) won’t be any different.”

Soliz, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 145 pounds, will fight this Saturday for the amateur featherweight title in the Full Contact Fighting Federation (FCFF) “Rumble at the Roseland 61” in Portland. He will take on Jess Moore, of Camas, Wash.

Soliz is 3-0 as an amateur fighter, having made a spectacular debut little more than a year ago at the Ducks vs. Beavers Cage Fights in Corvallis. He won there in dominating fashion, by referee stoppage in 1 minute, 46 seconds. While MMA fighters often train many months for a bout, Soliz says that for his first contest he had trained for just two months.

“It was a big win to start me off,” he says. “I’ve wrestled nationally, but stepping into the cage for the first time was a whole different story. Once I got a lot more confidence in my training, I started thinking I could be good at this, and I wanted to try training full time.”

Mixed martial arts is a combat sport that includes elements of boxing, kickboxing, judo, wrestling, karate, jiujitsu and other disciplines. Fights are decided by knockout, by submission (tap out), by referee stoppage, or by decision. Most amateur fights include three rounds of three minutes each.

Soliz finished in the top five in the Class 6A wrestling state tournament in each of his four years at Redmond High School, from which he graduated in 2010. He says he considered wrestling as a freshman at Oregon State University, but he wanted to focus on academics.

“Chael (Sonnen) contacted me when I got to college and said he heard I was not going to wrestle at OSU,” Soliz recalls. “He said he wanted to keep me competing. I did want to compete, but I didn’t know if I wanted to wrestle. That’s where MMA started with me — something I could do on my own time, and I could still compete.”

Soliz has since transferred from OSU to Central Oregon Community College in Bend, where he is majoring in business. He has a goal of one day opening his own gym.

For now, Soliz is busy teaching a fitness class twice a day at All About Nutrition in Redmond, coaching wrestling at Obsidian Middle School, taking a full schedule of college courses, and training most evenings at Smith Martial Arts in northeast Bend. He lives with his parents and his younger sister in Redmond.

Jimmy Smith, owner of Smith Martial Arts, has been training Soliz for the past nine months. Smith, 37, is a former MMA fighter — dating back to when such fighting was illegal — and a former martial arts stunt choreographer in the Hollywood film industry.

“He’s young, healthy and strong, and he’s got the willingness to learn,” Smith says of Soliz. “He pushes himself beyond his limits. I help him go over his limits when we train. If he’s a smart fighter, using all his technique and skill, he should be phenomenal.”

Smith and Soliz focus on conditioning, incorporating plyometrics and calisthenics, as well as kickboxing and submission drills.

“I’m trying to make him a well-rounded martial artist,” Smith says, “… a smart fighter, as opposed to just a brawler … reading the opponent as best as you can.”

Soliz won his second fight by a split decision, using a lot of his wrestling skills, he says. For his third fight, this past November in Lincoln City, Soliz says he was better prepared after having trained for several months with Smith. He defeated Kevin Walker, of Donald, by unanimous decision.

Walker was in line for the FCFF featherweight title shot if he beat Soliz, according to the FCFF. Instead, that opportunity went to Soliz.

As a former wrestler, Soliz has strengths in the cage that feature his takedowns and his “ground and pound” attack — which basically means punching an opponent while sitting atop him.

“My takedowns and ground and pound are what’s been winning me fights,” says Soliz, who is relatively small in stature but radiates a quiet confidence.

Soliz chose to fight in the FCFF because he figured the league gives him the best chance of turning professional. Sonnen and many other UFC fighters got their start in the FCFF.

“Amateur leagues are all about building your resume,” Soliz says. “I could go pro right now, but I wouldn’t get a very good pro debut with a 3-0 record … 10-0 is more than enough. At 6-0, most guys go pro.”

Many former high school and college wrestlers have tried their hand at MMA fighting. Sonnen is a former All-America wrestler for the University of Oregon. As a wrestling coach himself, he knows Sean’s father, Rudy Soliz, well.

“It was a real family affair with Sean,” Sonnen says. “His father was and is his coach and his mother and sister are never far away as a cheering and support system.”

Sonnen makes guest appearances at FCFF events, and he stays in touch with Soliz.

“He’ll text me from time to time and ask me how I’m doing,” Soliz says. “It’s been really nice to have a mentor like that if I really need some advice.”

But perhaps his most important motivator has been his mother, Debbie Soliz.

Sean says he is often asked what his mom thinks about his competing in such a violent sport.

“I wouldn’t be near the technician or the athlete I am without my dad, but I wouldn’t be near as tough without my mom,” Soliz says. “She’s the one that, over the years, if I’m complaining about something she’ll slap me around and say, ‘Come on, toughen up! Time for you to man up!’ ”

That tough love has helped mold him into an undefeated fighter. And now, a championship contender.

FCFF Rumble at the Roseland 61

What: Amateur mixed martial arts cage fights

Where: The Roseland Theater in Portland

When: This Saturday, 7 p.m.

Who: In one of six championship bouts, Redmond’s Sean Soliz is scheduled to fight Jess Moore, of Camas, Wash., for the featherweight (145-pound) title

Tickets: $29 to $59

Website: www.thefcff.com