UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 · Middleweight · 3 rounds
Opening locked Aug 19, 2026 · Damian Pinas 77% · Decision · Distance · scored hit (Damian Pinas / KO/TKO)

ArubaDamian Pinas
“The Baba Yaga”
Unranked · 10-1 · striker · Orthodox · 24 · IQ C+ 67
Nova Uniao · Aruba
Damian Pinas
76.8%
Cesar Almeida
23.2%
Model win probability · confidence 73%
No market posted yet.
Why the model leans this way
Damian Pinas is the model side at 76.8% because the largest live edges sit where this fight is likely to be fought. Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight. Punching agility is the clearest separator: Pinas 81 (B+) vs Almeida 60 (C). Hand speed / output lean Pinas (6.3 SLpM at 66%).
Punching agility
PinasPinas 81 (B+) vs Almeida 60 (C). Hand speed / output lean Pinas (6.3 SLpM at 66%).
Counter punching
AlmeidaAlmeida 64 (C+) vs Pinas 49 (D). Almeida's return is the live one (0.56 KD/15, 0 KOs) against Pinas's entries.
Striking defense
PinasPinas 73 (B) vs Almeida 64 (C+). Pinas absorbs 2.38/min at 55% defense; Almeida is a softer target at 3.39 SApM.
Fight IQ
PinasPinas 67 (C+) vs Almeida 63 (C+). Problem-solving and win-lane diversity sit with Pinas (C+ vs C+).
Path · Pinas
Volume. Pinas wins ugly minutes at range, clutter the center, and never give Almeida a clean reset.
Path · Almeida
Almeida wins by forcing the fight into durability and denying Pinas a long look at durability.
This is a firm lean, not a lock. The upset script is Almeida attacking ground game with durability.
Style and location. Almost exclusively standing. Power and volume decide it. Pinas is built as: Volume pressure striker. Almeida is built as: Pocket striker. Fight IQ delta is +4 toward Pinas — that is composure, win-lane diversity, and whether they solve a second problem when the first look dies.
The edges that move the number. Punching agility: Pinas 81 (B+) vs Almeida 60 (C). Hand speed / output lean Pinas (6.3 SLpM at 66%). Counter punching: Almeida 64 (C+) vs Pinas 49 (D). Almeida's return is the live one (0.56 KD/15, 0 KOs) against Pinas's entries. Striking defense: Pinas 73 (B) vs Almeida 64 (C+). Pinas absorbs 2.38/min at 55% defense; Almeida is a softer target at 3.39 SApM.
The finish path leans strikes (43% KO/TKO vs 11% submission). One clean read in the pocket can flip a close card. This is a firm lean, not a lock. The upset script is Almeida attacking ground game with durability. These trait marks are derived from FightMetric rates, career method shares, and loaded bout rows — reaction time and agility are proxies, not stopwatch numbers. The model folds the same scores into win probability, so a hole on this card is a hole in the percentage.
Fight IQ, ground game, defense, counter punching, reaction, agility, and takedown reaction — scored from tape and folded into the win number above.
Almost exclusively standing. Power and volume decide it.
R1
25%
R2
14%
R3
14%
Dist
46%
Most likely: Distance. Expected 10.4 minutes.
Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight.
Striking differential
3.95 vs 0.07 SLpM−SApM (recency / opp. adjusted)
Damage ratio
2.66 vs 1.02 landed/absorbed
Output (SLpM)
6.33 vs 3.46
Punching agility
Output × accuracy × age curve
Counter punching
49 vs 64
Reach / length
79.5" vs 74.0"
Striking defense
55% vs 61%
Age-adjusted curve
24 vs 38
Pocket defense (tape)
B vs C+
Fight IQ
C+ 67 vs C+ 63 — composure, win-lane diversity, adjustments
Recency form
Opp.-adjusted last 0/0 UFC rows
Striking efficiency
66% vs 69%
Cardio proxy
Output sustainability + distance rate
Grappling composite
TD avg × acc × def + control + submission threat (adj.)
Timing & reaction
Defense + absorb + knockdown timing proxy
Ground game (tape)
14 vs 14
Takedown mismatch
TD def 85% vs 85%
Strength of schedule
Opp. quality 50 vs 50
Style interaction
Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight.
Layoff / rust
Time since last fight
Championship / 5-round
Three-round fight
Takedown reaction
85% vs 85% hips on the shot
Durability
0 vs 0 KO losses
No recent UFC tape in the book.
No recent UFC tape in the book.
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