Pinas demolishes Pulyaev in 75 seconds at UFC 332 to extend first-round KO streak to six

Damian Pinas delivered another statement performance at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Saturday, stopping Andrew Pulyaev with a devastating uppercut just 1:15 into the first round to record his sixth straight first-round knockout.

The middleweight prospect, who entered the prelim bout at 2-0 in the UFC, wasted little time imposing himself on the resilient Pulyaev. After throwing heavy leather to set up his attack, Pinas drove a single uppercut flush into Pulyaev’s chin, instantly switching the lights off. Referee Herb Dean stepped in immediately to wave off the contest.

The finish pushed Pinas’s professional record to 12-1, a ledger that now includes 10 wins by KO or TKO and, remarkably, not a single fight that has gone beyond the second round.

Far from satisfied, Pinas was characteristically understated in his post-fight interview when assessing the stoppage.

“That was not my full power again,” Pinas said. “I didn’t even warm up yet, I’m cold, I don’t do anything yet.”

The comment, however casual, is difficult to dismiss given the evidence. Pinas has now dispatched three UFC opponents in succession without being taken out of the opening frame, and the uppercut that ended Pulyaev’s night required no follow-up shots — the punch alone was conclusive.

At 12-1 with a finishing rate that few active middleweights can match, Pinas is rapidly positioning himself as one of the division’s most dangerous prospects. Whether the UFC matchmakers accelerate his path toward ranked opposition remains to be seen, but Saturday’s 75-second demolition job will make that conversation harder to avoid.