11-07-26
Damian Pinas delivered a statement knockout at UFC 329, stopping Cesar Almeida late in the first round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., July 11, 2026.
Pinas and Almeida battled in what was largely a kickboxing match in small gloves, before Pinas sealed the win with a right hand knockout in the opening frame.
Almeida, a veteran with more than 50 professional kickboxing matches, entered the bout as the theoretical favorite based on his extensive striking background. Pinas, however, flipped those expectations with his finish.
Following the win, Pinas is described as a serious Middleweight prospect early in his professional and UFC career. One description captured the emerging aura around him in just three words: "The Baba Yaga".
