Jesus Aguilar Record: 12-4-0

Earning the contract

That opportunity arrived on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2022, where Aguilar faced the 11-1 Erisson Ferreira. True to form, he wrapped up a third-round guillotine choke to earn his UFC contract, the latest in a long line of finishes by his favorite technique.

UFC career

Aguilar's promotional debut in February 2023 was a harsh welcome: the unbeaten Tatsuro Taira submitted him with a triangle-armbar in the first round. He responded in spectacular fashion in July 2023 at UFC 290, flattening Shannon Ross with an overhand right for a first-round knockout that became the signature highlight of his career. From there he settled into a steady run, edging Mateus Mendonça by split decision in early 2024 and submitting the unbeaten Stewart Nicoll with a first-round guillotine at UFC 305 later that year. The competition then tightened: he dropped a unanimous decision to the unbeaten Rafael Estevam in February 2025, rebounded with a decision over Luis Gurule in September 2025, then lost a unanimous decision to Sumudaerji at UFC 326 in March 2026.

Fighting style

Aguilar is a submission grappler first, and his finish breakdown makes the case plainly: seven of his 12 wins have come by submission and just one by knockout, for a 67% finish rate. His specialty is the guillotine choke, a weapon he has used to finish opponents in nearly every round of a fight, including a rare fifth-round finish. He complements that with pressure-heavy grappling and enough power to land a flush overhand, as the Ross knockout proved. The honest weaknesses have shown against elite grapplers and sharp point-fighters: his UFC losses include two submissions early in his run and two decisions to unbeaten or technically polished opponents, suggesting that defensive grappling and round-by-round consistency are the keys to climbing the division.

Career highlights

• Highlight-reel UFC knockout — flattened Shannon Ross with a first-round overhand right at UFC 290, the signature moment of his career.
• UFC contract on the Contender Series — submitted 11-1 prospect Erisson Ferreira with a guillotine choke in 2022 to reach the UFC.
• Guillotine specialist — seven submission wins and a 67% finish rate built around one of the division's nastiest guillotine games.