Miguel Baeza

For the Spanish footballer, see Miguel Baeza (footballer).

Miguel Baeza
Born	(1992-08-23) August 23, 1992 (age 31) Davie, Florida, U.S.
Other names	Caramel Thunder
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Division	Welterweight (2016–present) Lightweight (2015)
Reach	74 in (188 cm) [1]
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Davie, Florida, United States
Team	MMA Masters
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [2]
Years active	2015–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	14
Wins	10
By knockout	7
By submission	1
By decision	2
Losses	4
By knockout	2
By decision	2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Miguel Baeza (born August 23, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Background

Baeza was born in Davie, Florida to a Puerto Rican family. Baeza grew up a boxing fan, and he lists Félix Trinidad as one of his all-time favorites. Baeza first dabbled in mixed martial arts in 2011 as an amateur, compiling a record of 4–0 before turning professional in 2015. Baeza holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. ^[2]

Mixed martial arts career

Dana White's Contender Series

After going 6–0 on the regional circuit, Baeza was invited to compete on Dana White's Contender Series 18. He faced Victor Reyna and won the bout via unanimous decision, a victory that earned him a UFC contract. ^[3]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Baeza made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 161 on October 12, 2019, facing Hector Aldana. Baeza was victorious via second-round technical knockout. ^[4]

Baeza then faced veteran Matt Brown on May 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 8. Baeza rallied back after being dropped in the first round, finishing Brown via technical knockout in the second round. ^[5] This win earned Baeza his first Performance of the Night award. ^[6]

Baeza was set to face Mickey Gall at UFC Fight Night 178. ^[7] However, on September 11, Gall pulled out due to an injury. ^[8] He was replaced by Jeremiah Wells. ^[9] On September 17, it was announced that the bout was canceled due to undisclosed reasons. ^[10]

Baeza faced Takashi Sato on November 28, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 184. ^[11] He won via second round arm-triangle choke, thus earning his first career win by submission. ^[12] He earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the win. ^[13]

Baeza faced Santiago Ponzinibbio on June 5, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai. ^[14] He lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. ^[15] This bout earned him the Fight of the Night award. ^[16]

Baeza faced Khaos Williams on November 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 197. ^[17] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three. ^[18]

Baeza was scheduled to face Dhiego Lima on April 16, 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2. ^[19] However, Lima announced his retirement from competition in MMA ^[20] in early February 2022 and was subsequently replaced by André Fialho. ^[21] Baeza lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. ^[22]

Baeza faced Punahele Soriano on June 8, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 57. ^[23] He lost the fight by unanimous decision. ^[24]

Professional grappling career

Baeza was due to face Neil Magny at Fury Pro Grappling 9 on April 4, 2024. ^[25] Magny withdrew on short notice and was replaced by Guilherme Neves. Baeza won the match by submission with an armbar. ^[26]

Championships and accomplishments

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Matt Brown and Takashi Sato ^{[6] [13]}
  • Fight of the Night (One Time) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio ^[16]
• MMAjunkie.com
  • 2021 June Fight of the Month vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio ^[27]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown

14 matches	10 wins	4 losses
By knockout	7	2
By submission	1	0
By decision	2	2

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Loss	10–4	Punahele Soriano	Decision (unanimous)	UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Imavov	June 8, 2024	3	5:00	Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Loss	10–3	André Fialho	TKO (punches)	UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2	April 16, 2022	1	4:39	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss	10–2	Khaos Williams	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez	November 13, 2021	3	1:02	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss	10–1	Santiago Ponzinibbio	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai	June 5, 2021	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Fight of the Night.
Win	10–0	Takashi Sato	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark	November 28, 2020	2	4:28	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	9–0	Matt Brown	TKO (punches)	UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris	May 16, 2020	2	0:18	Jacksonville, Florida, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	8–0	Hector Aldana	TKO (leg kick and elbows)	UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson	October 12, 2019	2	2:32	Tampa, Florida, United States
Win	7–0	Victor Reyna	Decision (unanimous)	Dana White's Contender Series 18	June 25, 2019	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Catchweight (178 lb) bout; Reyna missed weight.
Win	6–0	Matthew Colquhoun	KO (punches)	XFN 22	December 15, 2018	1	3:31	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Win	5–0	Leo Valdivia	Decision (split)	Fight Time 37	September 1, 2017	3	5:00	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Win	4–0	Augustus D'Angelo	TKO (pucnhes)	Fight Time 36	April 7, 2017	2	1:14	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Win	3–0	Mike D'Angelo	KO (punches)	Fight Time 33	October 21, 2016	1	3:48	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States	Welterweight debut.
Win	2–0	Emre Orun	KO (punch)	Titan FC 40	August 5, 2016	1	1:45	Coral Gables, Florida, United States	Catchweight (178 lb) bout.
Win	1–0	John McDonald	TKO (punches)	Rings of Dreams: Fight Night 17	August 22, 2015	1	1:21	Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States	Lightweight debut.

^[28]

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of current UFC fighters

References

1. "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
2. Thomas Albano (May 17, 2020). "UFC Jacksonville: Miguel Baeza KOs Matt Brown, stays unbeaten". fansided.com. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
3. Brian Knapp (June 25, 2019). "UFC SIGNS MILES JOHNS, MIGUEL BAEZA AFTER EPISODE 2 OF DANA WHITE'S CONTENDER SERIES". Sherdog.com.
4. Jon Realejo (October 13, 2019). "Miguel Baeza Gets TKO Victory Over Hector Aldana". BloodyCanvas.net.
5. "Matt Brown vs. Miguel Baeza Results and News - UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Overeem vs. Harris - MMA Fighting". www.mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
6. "UFC on ESPN 8 bonuses: Yadong-Vera war takes 'Fight of Night' honors". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
7. Mike Heck, Guillherme Cruz (August 28, 2020). "Miguel Baeza vs. Mickey Gall targeted for UFC event on Sept. 19". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
8. Mike Heck (2020-09-11). "Mickey Gall injured, out of fight with Miguel Baeza at UFC Vegas 11". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
9. Dave Doyle (2020-09-15). "Miguel Baeza now fights Jeremiah Wells at UFC on ESPN+ 36". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
10. Danny Segura (2020-09-17). "Miguel Baeza vs. Jeremiah Wells removed from UFC on ESPN+ 36". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
11. DNA, MMA (2020-11-07). "BREAKING: Miguel Baeza vs. Takashi Sato toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 28 november". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
12. McClory, Mike (2020-11-28). "UFC Vegas 15 Results: Miguel Baeza Earns Another Finish with Sub of Takashi Sato". cagesidepress. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
13. Stephie Haynes (2020-11-29). "UFC Vegas 15 post-fight bonuses: Smith nabs POTN for first round triangle". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
14. DNA, MMA (2021-04-15). "Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Miguel Baeza toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 5 juni". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
15. Anderson, Jay (2021-06-05). "UFC Vegas 28 Results: Santiago Ponzinibbio Survives Miguel Baeza's Early Storm, Battles Back". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
16. Marrocco, Steven (2021-06-05). "UFC Vegas 28 bonuses: Santiago Ponzinibbio, Miguel Baeza get $50k each for 'Fight of the Year' candidate". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
17. Heck, Mike (2021-10-15). "Miguel Baeza vs. Khaos Williams set for UFC event on Nov. 13". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
18. Anderson, Jay (2021-11-13). "UFC Vegas 42: Khaos Williams Earns Third Round KO Over Miguel Baeza". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
19. "Baeza en Lima treffen elkaar op 16 april". Eurosport (in Dutch). 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
20. "UFC veteran, 'TUF' finalist Dhiego Lima announces MMA retirement". MMA Junkie. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
21. Dorff Marcellanguage=nl (2022-02-25). "UFC Vegas 51 Fialho fills in against Baeza on April 16". Eurosport. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
22. Anderson, Jay (2022-04-16). "UFC Vegas 51: Andre Fialho Rocks, Drops Miguel Baeza for First UFC Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
23. Heck, Mike (2024-04-11). "Punahele Soriano moves to 170, welcomes Miguel Baeza back at June 8 UFC event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
24. Anderson, Jay (2024-06-09). "UFC Louisville: Punahele Soriano Overpowers Miguel Baeza in 170lb Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
25. Rogers, Kian. "Lineup Full Of MMA Stars Announced For Fury Pro Grappling 9". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
26. "Fury Pro Grappling 9 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
27. Mike Bohn (July 5, 2021). "MMA Junkie's 'Fight of the Month' for June: A welterweight war". MMAjunkie.com .
28. Sherdog.com. "Miguel Baeza". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-08-07.

External links

• Professional MMA record for Miguel Baeza from Sherdog
• Miguel Baeza at UFC