Damian Pinas will face Cesar Almeida in a middleweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11 during international fight week. This is the first announced matchup for the event. Pinas made his UFC debut in February and holds a 1-0 promotional record, with all his victories coming by finish and his only career loss by disqualification for an illegal strike. The 24-year-old from Aruba will face Almeida, who carries a 3-2 UFC record. The announcement was reported by Marcel Dorff.
A middleweight clash between Damian Pinas and Cesar Almeida has been booked for UFC 329 on July 11, becoming the first confirmed matchup on the card for international fight week.
Pinas, nicknamed "The Babayaga," arrives as one of the more intriguing newcomers in the division. The 24-year-old from Aruba carries a 9-1 professional record, with his lone blemish coming by disqualification for an illegal strike rather than by defeat on the scorecards. He made his UFC debut in February and is 1-0 inside the octagon, with every career victory coming by finish. His output is striking — he lands 7.5 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy, and he measures in at six-foot-one with a remarkable 79-inch reach, or 201 centimeters, giving him a notable physical edge in most matchups.
Standing across from him will be Brazilian veteran Cesar Almeida, known as "Cesinha." The 38-year-old trains out of Lotus MMA and holds a 7-2 overall record with a 3-2 mark inside the UFC. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, Almeida stands six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach. He lands 3.46 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 58 percent accuracy, suggesting a more measured, precise approach compared to the volume-heavy style Pinas brings.
Why it matters
- Pinas enters with enormous hype as an unbeaten finisher, and a strong performance against a tested UFC veteran could accelerate his divisional rise quickly.
- Almeida's 58 percent striking accuracy is among the better marks in the middleweight division, making this a genuine stylistic test for the younger fighter's high-output game.
- At 38, Almeida faces a significant age gap against a 24-year-old prospect, adding extra stakes to where both men stand in their respective career trajectories.
- UFC 329 falls during international fight week, meaning the card is expected to carry a high-profile undercard with added visibility for both fighters.
