Yadier del Valle Record: 11-1-0

Regional climb

One of the most telling wins of del Valle's pre-UFC run came in June 2023, when he handed previously unbeaten prospect Michael Aswell the first loss of his career via unanimous decision at Fury FC 80. He kept building from there, submitting Adam Smith with a first-round guillotine in early 2024 and outpointing Pena Allamov before earning a UFC contract by defeating the very experienced Antonio Monteiro on Dana White's Contender Series in October 2024. That victory over a seasoned veteran proved he could hang with established competition and punched his ticket to the Octagon.

UFC arrival

Del Valle made an emphatic promotional debut in May 2025, submitting Connor Matthews with a first-round rear-naked choke. He doubled down in November 2025, taking on unbeaten featherweight Isaac Dulgarian and again finishing in the first round by rear-naked choke, a statement win over a hyped prospect that pushed him to 10-0 as a professional. His momentum stalled in February 2026, when he dropped a three-round unanimous decision to Jordan Leavitt, the first loss of his career and a reminder of the depth of talent at 145 pounds.

Fighting style

Del Valle is a finisher built around a strong grappling core, with four of his ten wins coming by submission and two by knockout for a 60 percent finish rate. His judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree shows in his ability to drag fights to the mat and hunt the rear-naked choke, the weapon behind both of his UFC victories. He pairs that submission threat with enough pop to score TKOs and the cardio to win decisions over three rounds. His sole defeat, a decision against Leavitt, exposed the challenge of imposing his grappling against a savvy, well-rounded opponent and pointed to the striking and wrestling layers he will need to keep refining at the UFC level.

Career highlights

• Two UFC submissions to open his run — finished both Connor Matthews and unbeaten prospect Isaac Dulgarian by first-round rear-naked choke, debuting in the promotion in dominant fashion.
• Contender Series contract — defeated the veteran Antonio Monteiro on Dana White's Contender Series to earn his place in the UFC.
• Spoiler of unbeaten prospects — handed Michael Aswell his first professional loss and later did the same to Isaac Dulgarian, repeatedly derailing hyped featherweights on the rise.