Damian Pinas VS César Almeida

Damian Pinas stopped César Almeida with a straight right hand at 4:44 of round one in their middleweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The opening four minutes were measured, with neither fighter committing to significant exchanges, before Pinas timed a right hand down the middle off an Almeida leg kick that dropped the Brazilian and drew an immediate stoppage — no follow-up strikes required. The clean one-punch finish was Pinas's sixth consecutive stoppage win; the 24-year-old Aruban is now 2-0 in the UFC with first-round knockouts in both appearances. After the finish, Pinas called out fellow Season 9 Contender Series alumnus Baisangur Susurkaev.

Surinamese knockout specialist Damian Pinas enters his second UFC fight having destroyed Wes Schultz in 150 seconds on debut, while Cesar Almeida brings a world-ranked kickboxing background from Glory and Superkombat alongside steady UFC experience. The intrigue lies in whether Pinas relentless pressure and finishing instinct can overcome a more seasoned striker who has faced elite-level stand-up competition before stepping inside an MMA cage.