Damian Pinas
The Babayaga
Aruba
Newcomer for UFC debut
Pinas is scheduled to compete against Wes Schultz in a middleweight fight at UFC Mexico on Feb. 28, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
By finishing someone in under two minutes during Dana White's Contender Series, Pinas earned a UFC contract, which will begin in 2026. For the contract's first fight, his opponent will be a fellow DWCS contender in Schultz, who is 8-2 across his professional career.
By finishing someone in under two minutes during Dana White's Contender Series, Pinas earned a UFC contract, which will begin in 2026. For the contract's first fight, his opponent will be a fellow DWCS contender in Schultz, who is 8-2 across his professional career.
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Folds opponent to earn contract
Pinas defeated Vitor Costa via TKO (punches) at 1:46 of Round 1 at Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday. After the show, he was one of four fighters to be officially awarded a UFC contract.
ANALYSIS
This finish was a TKO in name only, as a jab-cross combination stopped Costa in his tracks before he woke up on the ground. Pinas throws incredibly hard and minds himself defensively, but it will be interesting to see how "The Babayaga" reacts the first time he runs into a fighter he can't scare out of the pocket. Still, an 80-inch reach and a willingness to throw in combination make him an interesting addition to a middleweight division that appears to grow stronger by the day. Pinas improved to 8-1-0 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.
This finish was a TKO in name only, as a jab-cross combination stopped Costa in his tracks before he woke up on the ground. Pinas throws incredibly hard and minds himself defensively, but it will be interesting to see how "The Babayaga" reacts the first time he runs into a fighter he can't scare out of the pocket. Still, an 80-inch reach and a willingness to throw in combination make him an interesting addition to a middleweight division that appears to grow stronger by the day. Pinas improved to 8-1-0 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.