Pinas On Respect After Back-To-Back UFC Finishes

Damian Pinas says his pair of consecutive UFC finishes changed how the mixed martial arts world sees him.

The middleweight prospect meets Andrey Pulyaev at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Oct. 3 after recording two straight stoppages since winning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series. Pinas told Sherdog that the recognition came only after he proved himself inside the octagon. "Yeah, since my last fight, everybody gave me more respect, more recognition; they didn't count me out anymore because before that they were counting me out," he said.

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Pinas Keeping Grappling Skills Under Wraps

The Brazilian has finished all 10 of his professional victories, nine by knockout and one by submission. But Pinas insists there is an entire dimension of his skill set that opponents have not seen. He said fans assume he lacks ground skills because he has not needed them yet. "Now, my grappling area... Nobody saw my grappling," Pinas added in the interview. "Everybody thinks that I don't have grappling, but I keep it quiet... One day I will show you guys."

Pinas carries a 10-1 record into the cage against Pulyaev, with both of his UFC appearances ending in first-round knockouts. He hopes to extend that streak and continue climbing the middleweight ladder.

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• Sherdog — UFC finisher Damian Pinas: ‘They were counting me out’