Damian Pinas has never won on the scorecards. The 24-year-old middleweight, 10-1, has finished every win, 9 by knockout, and knocked out every UFC opponent so far in round 1. On Saturday, October 3, at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, he faces Russia’s Andrey Pulyaev, 10-5, a rangy fighter who relies on distance and durability.
Key takeaways
- Damian Pinas (10-1) faces Andrey Pulyaev (10-5) at middleweight on the UFC 332 prelims on October 3 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
- Pinas, 24, has finished all 10 of his wins, 9 by knockout and one by submission. In July he became the 1st man to knock out César Almeida, in round 1.
- Pulyaev, 29, comes off a decision loss to unbeaten Ateba Gautier at UFC 324 in January.
Damian Pinas, a 100% finish rate
Discovered on the Contender Series
Nicknamed “Baba Yaga”, Pinas earned his contract on the Contender Series. He has won all 10 of his victories inside the distance, a rarity among UFC middleweights.
The knockout that changed everything
In July he knocked out César Almeida in round 1. The former kickboxer had never been knocked out in his combat sports career.
Respect earned
Pinas says that fight earned him new recognition: people used to count him out, he told Sherdog. He also insists he has a ground game he keeps hidden.
Andrey Pulyaev, a durability test
A range fighter
The 29-year-old Russian, 10-5, uses his long frame to keep opponents at distance and strike methodically. He is known as hard to finish.
Beaten by Gautier
In January at UFC 324 he lost a decision to Ateba Gautier, who faces Roman Kopylov on the same UFC 332 card.
Betting on time
His plan will be to survive the early storm and drag Pinas into deep rounds, where the young middleweight has never had to go in the UFC.
Yeah, since my last fight, everybody gave me more respect, more recognition; they didn't count me out anymore
What Damian Pinas has at stake at UFC 332
A 3rd straight knockout
Another round 1 win would give Pinas 3 straight UFC knockouts and put him among the most watched prospects at middleweight.
A clear favorite
Bettors make him a heavy favorite, and Yahoo Sports analysts pick a round 2 knockout.
Follow the fight
Pinas’ and Pulyaev’s records and our weekly middleweight rating are in the FightHub app, with the result as soon as the fight ends.
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- Contender Series week 7: 6 UFC contracts, 2 for fighters who lost, none for the main event winner
