Damian Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida squared off tonight (Sat., July 11, 2026) at UFC 329 LIVE on Paramount+ from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In an incredible knockout, Pinas stopped his opponent with a single right hand late in the first fight.
Apart from one brief struggle after a caught punch, it was entirely a kickboxing match with small gloves. In theory, this would favor Almeida, a veteran with more than 50 professional kickboxing bouts. In fact, there was competition all the time. Almeida was a little trickier in his movements and placements, but Pinas threw the lead leg and came very close with his nuclear right hand early in the fight.
In the final seconds of the first round, he found his mark, landing a right hand square to the chin to counter an inside low kick. “Baba Yaga” attempted to score a knockout, but the referee forced her to throw another punch before intervening.
Watch the video highlights below:
Wow…Pinas has incredible power. It’s still very early in his professional and UFC career and there’s still a lot of unknowns about his overall game, but can anyone deny that kind of one-hitter ability? He just smoked out a world-class kickboxer in his own game, establishing himself as a serious middleweight prospect.
For more UFC 329 results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.