The UFC has announced the first fight for UFC 329, scheduled for July 11th during International Fight Week. Damian Pinas, who holds a 1-0 UFC record, will face Cesar Almeida, who is 3-2 in the promotion, in a middleweight contest. The 24-year-old Pinas from Aruba made his UFC debut in February and has won all his fights by finish except for one disqualification loss due to an illegal strike. Almeida brings more UFC experience into this matchup. This bout kicks off the build-up to what is typically one of the promotion's major summer events.
The UFC has officially announced a middleweight clash between Damian Pinas and Cesar Almeida for UFC 329, set for July 11th during International Fight Week.
Pinas, known as "The Babayaga," is a 24-year-old from Aruba carrying a 9-1-0 overall record and a 1-0 mark inside the UFC following his promotional debut in February. At six-foot-one with an exceptional 79-inch reach, Pinas is an aggressive finisher who lands a remarkable 7.5 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy. His lone loss came via disqualification due to an illegal strike, meaning he has finished every opponent who has beaten him on a judge's scorecard — none have.
Almeida, nicknamed "Cesinha," is a 38-year-old Brazilian out of Lotus MMA who brings considerably more promotional experience into this fight, having gone 3-2 inside the UFC against a 7-2-0 overall record. The six-foot-one orthodox striker posts 3.46 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 58 percent accuracy and occasionally threatens with submission attempts, averaging 0.2 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Pinas enters on a wave of momentum from a strong debut, and a win over the more experienced Almeida would firmly establish him as a name to watch at middleweight.
- Almeida's UFC tenure gives him a clear edge in big-fight experience, making this a meaningful test of how quickly Pinas can adapt to the promotion's upper tier.
- The reach advantage for Pinas — a full five inches over Almeida's 74-inch reach — sets up an intriguing striking dynamic between two orthodox fighters.
- The bout opens the build-up to one of the UFC's marquee summer cards, giving both men a high-visibility stage to make an impression.
