Mark Climaco Record: 10-2-0

Building under the LFA banner

Climaco's most productive stretch came on the Legacy Fighting Alliance circuit. After a first-round ground-and-pound stoppage of Rafael Nuñes at UWC 25, he moved to the LFA and outpointed the unbeaten Pololu Nakanelua at LFA 101 in March 2021, then beat Rodney Kealohi by decision at LFA 108 that May. The momentum hit a wall in November 2021 when he was stopped by strikes in the first round by Yuma Horiuchi at LFA 117 – his first professional loss. He answered with decision wins over the previously unbeaten Cody Davis at LFA 137 and Miguel Sanson at LFA 150, reasserting himself as one of the division's most reliable prospect-slayers.

Road to UFC

That form earned Climaco a place in the UFC's Road to UFC tournament in 2023. He opened with a decision win over the unbeaten Jung Hyun Lee in May, advancing in the bracket, before running into the highly touted Rei Tsuruya in August, dropping a decision to the unbeaten Japanese prospect who would go on to reach the UFC. Climaco rebounded in January 2024 with a decision victory over the unbeaten Tumelo Manyamala at UAE Warriors 46, keeping his trajectory toward the sport's top tier intact.

Fighting style

Climaco is a grinding, decision-heavy flyweight built on volume, control and conditioning – seven of his ten wins have come on the scorecards, for a 30% finish rate that reflects how often he simply outworks opponents over three rounds. When the opening is there, he can finish, as his rear-naked choke of Siqueira and ground-and-pound stoppages show, but his core identity is a high-output, well-rounded game that has repeatedly proven too much for unbeaten prospects. His two losses both came inside the distance or to elite competition, hinting that the sharpest finishers can still test his durability when he is forced into firefights.

Career highlights

• Prospect-slayer — handed multiple previously unbeaten opponents their first professional loss, including Igor Siqueira, Pololu Nakanelua, Cody Davis and Miguel Sanson.
• Road to UFC competitor — advanced past unbeaten Jung Hyun Lee before facing top prospect Rei Tsuruya in the UFC's developmental tournament.
• AKA-trained flyweight — built a 10-2 record training at the American Kickboxing Academy, the gym behind multiple UFC champions.