Damian Pinas

The Babayaga

Aruba

Folds opponent to earn contract
MiddleweightUFC
October 1, 2025
Pinas defeated Vitor Costa via TKO (punches) at 1:46 of Round 1 at Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday. After the show, he was one of four fighters to be officially awarded a UFC contract.
ANALYSIS
This finish was a TKO in name only, as a jab-cross combination stopped Costa in his tracks before he woke up on the ground. Pinas throws incredibly hard and minds himself defensively, but it will be interesting to see how "The Babayaga" reacts the first time he runs into a fighter he can't scare out of the pocket. Still, an 80-inch reach and a willingness to throw in combination make him an interesting addition to a middleweight division that appears to grow stronger by the day. Pinas improved to 8-1-0 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.
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