LAS VEGAS – Daniel Pineda wants to temper any Fight of the Night expectations for his UFC on ESPN 45 showdown with Alex Caceres right now.
For anyone who is looking at Saturday’s featherweight co-headliner at the UFC Apex, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN, and thinks it’s going to be competitive, Pineda (28-14 MMA, 5-5 UFC) said that’s not part of the plan for Caceres (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC).
“I don’t plan on making it back and forth,” Pineda told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 45 media day. “I plan on finishing him in one or two rounds. It’s going to suck for a lot of people, but I will finish him.
“I think this opponent, we make a perfect matchup. He’s a veteran. I’m a veteran. I’ve been in the game a long time. I think he pushed forward at the right times. I push forward all the time. I think we’re going to give a hell of a fight.”
After taking a 21-month hiatus from competition, Pineda returned to the octagon on March 25 and scored a second-round submission of Tucker Lutz at UFC on ESPN 43. It was the final fight on his UFC contract, and he made it clear he wanted a new and better deal before returning.
He said he got what he wanted, and that’s why he’s back just over two months later. If things go according to plan, Pineda said he’s seeking one more bout before 2023 wraps so he can make it a 3-0 year.
“That’s why I said yes,” Pineda said. “A good contract, a better contract with a ranked opponent? Let’s do it. … I do want to take at least one more fight before the end of the year.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.
