César Almeida Record: 7-3-0

UFC run

Almeida wasted little time validating the signing. In April 2024 he stopped Dylan Budka by second-round TKO, leaning on the punching power that defined his kickboxing days. His momentum was checked that June at UFC 302, where Roman Kopylov edged him by split decision in a close, competitive striking battle. Almeida regrouped at UFC 307 in October 2024, outpointing the durable Ihor Potieria over three rounds for a unanimous decision. He opened 2025 with his most emphatic Octagon moment yet, a first-round knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan in January that showcased exactly why his hands command respect. The run hit a speed bump in December 2025, when Cezary Oleksiejczuk took a unanimous decision, leaving Almeida at 7-2 with a bout against Damian Pinas on the horizon.

Fighting style

Almeida is a pure striker by trade, and his MMA record reflects it: five of his seven wins have come by knockout, a roughly 71% finish rate, with no submissions on his ledger. Years of high-level kickboxing gave him crisp boxing, sharp distance management and one-punch power that travels up in weight, and his frame and reach let him fight long behind a hard jab and heavy right hand. The questions that linger are the ones common to late-blooming strikers crossing into MMA: his two professional losses both came by decision, and the grappling and wrestling exchanges that punctuate the modern middleweight division remain the areas where opponents will test him. When he keeps a fight standing, though, he is as dangerous as anyone in his weight class.

Career highlights

• Win over Alex Pereira — beat the future two-division UFC champion at WGP Kickboxing 17 in 2013, the lone victory in a three-fight kickboxing rivalry.
• Contender Series contract — defeated Lucas Fernando in August 2023 to earn his UFC deal with just a handful of pro MMA fights.
• First-round knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan — flattened a dangerous puncher in January 2025, his signature Octagon finish and a reminder of his kickboxing pedigree.