The UFC has announced the first fight for UFC 329, which will take place on July 11 during International Fight Week. Damian Pinas will face Cesar Almeida in a middleweight bout. Pinas made his UFC debut in February and holds a 1-0 record in the promotion, with all of his career victories coming by finish except for one disqualification loss for an illegal strike. The 24-year-old from Aruba will face Almeida, who currently stands at 3-2 in the UFC. The matchup was first reported by Marcel Dorff.
The UFC has officially announced a middleweight clash between Damian Pinas and Cesar Almeida for UFC 329, scheduled for July 11 during International Fight Week. The matchup was first reported by Marcel Dorff.
Pinas, nicknamed "The Babayaga," carries a 9-1-0 professional record into the bout, with his lone loss coming by disqualification for an illegal strike. The 24-year-old from Aruba stands six-foot-one with an exceptional 79-inch reach and made his UFC debut in February, going 1-0 in the promotion so far. He has been nearly impossible to keep off the finish in his career, and his UFC numbers back up that aggression — he lands 7.5 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy, making him one of the more active strikers in the division.
Almeida, known as "Cesinha," is a 38-year-old Brazilian fighter out of Lotus MMA who holds a 7-2-0 overall record and sits at 3-2 inside the UFC. The orthodox middleweight stands six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach and brings precision to his striking game, posting a 58 percent striking accuracy rate alongside 3.46 significant strikes landed per minute. He also generates occasional submission threats, averaging 0.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Pinas brings a significant reach advantage of five inches over Almeida, which could shape the distance game considerably
- Almeida's UFC experience — five fights compared to Pinas's one — gives him a meaningful edge in navigating the promotion's pace and pressure
- Both fighters are orthodox strikers, setting up a technical standup battle with finishing potential given Pinas's high output
- A win for either man would carry real weight in the crowded middleweight division during one of the UFC's marquee annual events
