Claudio Puelles (born April 21, 1996) is a Peruvian professional mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
| Claudio Puelles | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 21, 1996 Lima, Peru[1] |
| Other names | El Niño, Prince of Peru |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Division | Lightweight Featherweight |
| Reach | 72 in (183 cm)[1] |
| Fighting out of | Molina, Peru |
| Team | Pitbull Martial Arts Center Sanford MMA (2021–present)[2] |
| Rank | Purple belt in Luta Livre[1] |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 12 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 7 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
Puelles started training Muay Thai around the age of 13, quickly picking up grappling also before transitioning to mixed martial arts in his adolescent years.[1]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Puelles started his professional MMA career in 2013 and fought primarily in Peru. He amassed a record of 7–1 prior to participating in The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3.[3]
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3
In 2016 Puelles competed on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 series under Team Chuck Liddell.[4]
In the elimination round, Puelles defeated José David Flores via a technical knockout in the first round.[5] In the quarterfinals, Puelles defeated Pablo Sabori via a submission.[6] In the semifinals, he defeated Marcelo Rojo by a unanimous decision.[7] This win earned him a spot in the finale against Martín Bravo on November 5, 2016, in Mexico City, Mexico at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale.[8]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Puelles made his official UFC debut against Martin Bravo on November 5, 2016, in Mexico City, Mexico at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale.[8] He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[9]
On May 19, 2018, Puelles faced Felipe Silva at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman.[10] He won the fight via a submission in round three.[11] The submission gained him a Performance of the Night bonus award.[12]
Puelles faced Marcos Mariano on September 21, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens.[13] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[14]
Puelles faced Jordan Leavitt on June 5, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai.[15] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[16]
Puelles faced Chris Gruetzemacher on December 4, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 31.[17] He won the fight via a kneebar in round three.[18]
Puelles faced Clay Guida on April 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 205.[19] He won the fight via a kneebar in round one.[20] This win earned him a Performance of the Night award.[21]
Puelles faced Dan Hooker on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281.[22] He lost the fight via TKO in round two after being dropped by a front kick to the body, Puelles was condemned for the strategies he employed.[23]
Puelles faced Farès Ziam on February 24, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 237.[24] Despite having a career high of seven takedowns, Puelles only landed four significant strikes and ended up losing the bout by split decision.[25]
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Felipe Silva and Clay Guida[12][21]
- Most kneebar submissions in UFC history (3)[26]
Mixed martial arts record
| 16 matches | 12 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 2 |
| By submission | 7 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 12–4 | Farès Ziam | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 | February 24, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Loss | 12–3 | Dan Hooker | TKO (body kick) | UFC 281 | November 12, 2022 | 2 | 4:06 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Clay Guida | Submission (kneebar) | UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade | April 23, 2022 | 1 | 3:01 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11–2 | Chris Gruetzemacher | Submission (kneebar) | UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo | December 4, 2021 | 3 | 3:26 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–2 | Jordan Leavitt | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai | June 5, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–2 | Marcos Mariano | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens | September 21, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Win | 8–2 | Felipe Silva | Submission (kneebar) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman | May 19, 2018 | 3 | 2:23 | Santiago, Chile | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 7–2 | Martin Bravo | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson | November 5, 2016 | 2 | 1:55 | Mexico City, Mexico | The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Lightweight Tournament Final. |
| Win | 7–1 | Alvaro Sugasti | KO (head kick) | 300 Sparta 6 | April 18, 2015 | 1 | 1:24 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 6–1 | Edimar Martins Rayol | Submission (kneebar) | Inka FC: Inka Warriors 2 | October 25, 2014 | 1 | 2:36 | Lima, Peru | |
| Loss | 5–1 | David Cubas | Decision (unanimous) | Inka FC: Inka Warriors 1 | February 16, 2014 | 1 | 2:36 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 5–0 | Lander Duarte Alves | Decision (unanimous) | Inka FC 25 | April 16, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 4–0 | Guile Calvete | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 300 Sparta 5 | February 16, 2014 | 2 | N/A | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 3–0 | Manuel Meza | TKO (cut) | 300 Sparta 4 | October 10, 2013 | 3 | 0:00 | Lima, Peru | Featherweight bout. |
| Win | 2–0 | Renzo Mendez | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Inka FC 23 | August 24, 2013 | 2 | 0:00 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 1–0 | Angel Alvarez | Submission (armbar) | 300 Sparta 2 | July 17, 2013 | 3 | N/A | Lima, Peru |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 3 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 3–0 | Marcelo Rojo | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 | Jun 11, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Semi-final round. |
| Win | 2–0 | Pablo Sabori | Submission (kneebar) | Jun 3, 2016 | 1 | N/A | The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Quarterfinal round. | ||
| Win | 1–0 | José David Flores | TKO (punches) | May 20, 2016 | 1 | N/A | The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Elimination round. |