Fighter Profile: Damian Pinas

Background

Aruban middleweight fighting under the nickname “The Baba Yaga”. His professional record is 10-1, he is 2-0 inside the UFC, and none of his last five opponents has made it out of the first round.

Career timeline

• Built a regional record on a long winning streak before signing with the UFC.
• Made his UFC debut on 28 February 2026 at UFC Fight Night in Mexico City, stopping Wes Schultz by TKO in round one.
• Knocked out Cesar Almeida with a counter right hand at 4:44 of round one at UFC 329 on 11 July 2026 — the first stoppage loss of Almeida’s career.

Fight craft

Pinas is a counter-puncher with unusually good timing for a fighter this early in his UFC run: against Almeida he absorbed the veteran kickboxer’s early pressure, waited for the opening and ended the fight with one shot. The finishing record speaks for itself. What has not been shown is anything beyond round one — his cardio, his grappling and his ability to adjust in a longer fight are all still unknowns at this level.

In the modern MMA landscape

Our wider MMA analysis names Pinas as one of the middleweight debutants in the UFC’s 2026 intake and stops there. He has since gone 2-0 with two first-round finishes, including a one-punch knockout on a pay-per-view card, which puts him ahead of most of that cohort.

Return to What the Modern MMA Game Demands.

Sources

• UFC — Damian Pinas wins via first-round TKO in UFC debut
• Yardbarker — Damian Pinas starches Cesar Almeida with one-punch KO at UFC 329
• UFCStats — Damian Pinas record

Record and competitive status checked 1 August 2026.