Damian Pinas upped his record to 10-1 at UFC 329. | 📷:
Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Damian
Pinas says he is in no hurry to finish his fights, although
they usually end early.

Pinas took on Cesar
Almeida at
UFC 329 in Las Vegas. After a back-and-forth striking battle,
Pinas floored his opponent with a vicious right hand. While Almeida
appeared to be out, the referee waited for another right hand from
Pinas before stepping in.

Damian Pinas explains why another first-round UFC finish wasn’t
the plan

While Pinas is known for his signature jab-cross combination, he
believes he displayed a more versatile arsenal at UFC 329. This
marked Pinas' second first-round finish in as many UFC outings and
third, including his
Dana White's Contender Series win last year.

However, “The Baba Yaga†claims he is in no hurry to finish fights.
According to Pinas, he is ready for three-round matches, although
his opponents usually go down when he touches them. The 24-year-old
says he is naturally patient with everything in life.

“I showed them that I can do more than they know,†Pinas said in a
post-fight interview. “Some people see the video; they think,
‘Damian is a striker, just a simple 1-2.' I can do whatever I want.
I just throw my 1-2 because it's the easiest way to put them out…
I'm not here to finish fights early; it just happens. I don't do
it; it just happens. I'm ready to fight three-round fights. But
when I touch them, they get out. I naturally am patient with
everything. I'm a chill guy.â€

Pinas (10-1) has gone past the first round only twice in his 10
career wins. Meanwhile, Almeida (7-3) is now on a two-fight slump
and 3-3 in the UFC.

Farid Basharat said he was compromised going into UFC 329. | 📷:
Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Farid
Basharat never considered pulling out of
UFC 329 despite suffering an injury just weeks ahead of his
bout.

Basharat was originally scheduled to fight Ethyn Ewing
at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. However, Ewing pulled out due
to an undisclosed injury and was replaced by promotional debutant
John
Garza on six days' notice.

Farid Basharat discloses two leg injuries he suffered while
training for UFC 329

While Basharat was as high as a -700 favorite on some sportsbooks,
Garza gave the Afghan-born Brit a run for his money. Basharat
eventually won by a closely-contested unanimous decision. He
subsequently revealed that he tore his MCL just three weeks ahead
of UFC 329.

However, “Ferocious,†who is admittedly sometimes too tough for his
own good, never considered pulling out of the fight.

“Three weeks before the fight, I tore my meniscus and my MCL,â€
Basharat said in a post-bout interview. “In the last three weeks,
if you go back to some of the fight week footage, I've either got a
knee brace on, I'm limping, or I'm warming up extensively.
Sometimes I need to be protected from my own toughness. I didn't
think for a second to pull out.â€

As for Ewing pulling out due to an injury, Basharat (16-0) wants to
give him the benefit of the doubt. The undefeated 135-pounder now
has seven UFC wins to his name. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Garza (6-2)
showed that he belongs even with little notice.

Ryan
Gandra made quick work of Zachary Reese at UFC 329. | 📷:
Getty/UFC

Ryan
Gandra's preparation for his second outing in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship made his 6'3†opponent seem
“small.â€

Gandra (10-1) took on Zachary
Reese in a middleweight bout at
UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The Brazilian took a little over a minute
to drop Reese with a massive left hand. He landed a few follow-up
shots before referee Mike Beltran stepped in, albeit the stoppage
was arguably slightly early amidst protests from Reese.

Ryan Gandra credits film study and preparation after UFC 329
victory

Gandra says he had prepared so hard that his nearly flawless
victory felt automatic. “Problema†also claims to have studied
Reese so well that the 6'3†American felt small despite being
taller than him by two inches.

“It felt automatic. We did so much work. We studied him. We got
ready for this fight as if it was only thing to worry about in the
world,†Gandra said in a post-fight interview. “I felt him small. I
know he is a huge guy, but I felt him small. Why? Because it felt
automatic. Because I knew him so well and I was ready for it. I
know that he is a big guy, but he felt smaller. That's the fruit of
a lot of work, a lot of study, and a job well done.â€

Gandra has finished 8 of his 10 career wins and ended both of his
UFC fights inside the first round, with a combined Octagon time of
less than two minutes. Meanwhile, Reese is now on a two-fight slump
and is 4-4 in the UFC since making his promotional debut in
2023.