Leonardo Damiani Record: 12-7-1

Stepping up internationally

In January 2018 Damiani faced British veteran John Maguire, a fighter with 25 wins, and was caught in a first-round guillotine choke — a tough but instructive loss against seasoned opposition. He rebuilt with wins in Italy and abroad, fighting for promotions including Cage Warriors before earning a 2021 appearance on Dana White's Contender Series, where unbeaten prospect AJ Fletcher stopped him with a first-round flying knee. Damiani then settled into a run with Ares FC, headlining Ares FC 6 in May 2022 with a decision win over Muslim Tulshaev. That set up a marquee meeting at Ares FC 9 in November 2022 with former UFC fighter Laureano Staropoli, who edged Damiani by decision.

Veteran resilience

The Staropoli loss began a rough stretch, with subsequent defeats testing Damiani's standing, but the veteran showed he still had answers. In May 2024 he returned at AFL 34 and stopped the highly experienced Abner Lloveras — a 22-fight winner — with punches, a statement victory over a grizzled name that underlined his durability and finishing ability deep into his career.

Fighting style

Damiani is fundamentally a submission grappler, and the numbers bear it out: of his 12 wins, six have come by submission, with three knockouts and three decisions rounding out a profile that carries a 75 percent finish rate. The rear-naked choke is his calling card, the finish behind much of his early winning run. He pairs that grappling with enough power to end fights on the feet, as his AFL 34 knockout of Lloveras showed. His vulnerabilities are honest ones — he has been finished by both strikes and submissions and has dropped several decisions against top-tier opposition, a record (12-7-1) that reflects a fighter who has consistently been matched against quality and remained dangerous regardless of the result.

Career highlights

• Italian grappling standout — built his reputation on a wave of submission finishes, with six of his career wins coming by submission and the rear-naked choke as his signature.
• Ares FC headliner — main-evented Ares FC 6 in 2022 with a decision win over Muslim Tulshaev, cementing his status on the European stage.
• Veteran finisher — stopped 22-fight winner Abner Lloveras with punches at AFL 34 in 2024, a marquee scalp deep into his career.