Damian Pinas will face Cesar Almeida in a middleweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026. This is the first fight announced for the event, which will be part of International Fight Week. Pinas is 1-0 in the UFC after debuting in February 2026, and at 24 years old has won all his victories by finish except for one disqualification loss due to an illegal strike. Almeida holds a 3-2 UFC record. The announcement was sourced from Marcel Dorff.
A middleweight clash between Damian Pinas and Cesar Almeida has been announced for UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, marking the first bout made official for the event, which is set to take place during International Fight Week.
Pinas, nicknamed "The Babayaga," is 24 years old and carries a 9-1-0 professional record into the fight. He made his UFC debut in February 2026 and is currently 1-0 inside the organization. The Dutch prospect stands six-foot-one with an exceptionally long reach of 79 inches — 201 centimeters — and has demonstrated serious finishing ability throughout his career, with his only blemish a disqualification loss due to an illegal strike. His UFC numbers reflect an aggressive approach, with 7.5 significant strikes landed per minute at 56 percent accuracy.
Almeida, known as "Cesinha," enters at 7-2-0 overall with a 3-2 record in the UFC. The 38-year-old Brazilian trains out of Lotus MMA and also stands six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach. He is an orthodox striker who lands 3.46 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 58 percent accuracy, suggesting clean, efficient output rather than volume. He adds a degree of grappling threat through submission attempts, averaging 0.2 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Pinas brings one of the highest striking output rates in the division at 7.5 significant strikes per minute, setting up a potentially explosive stylistic contrast with the more measured Almeida
- A win for Pinas would push his UFC record to 2-0 and build momentum behind the young prospect in a competitive 185-pound division
- Almeida, at 38, will look to rebound and demonstrate he remains relevant at middleweight with a 3-2 UFC ledger in need of a statement victory
- The bout is the first confirmed matchup for UFC 329, with International Fight Week typically drawing significant attention to the full card
