Claudio Puelles

El Nino

Peru

Loses in return from long layoff
LightweightUFC
February 24, 2024
Puelles lost to Fares Ziam via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 27-30) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Mexico City.
ANALYSIS
If the No. 1 scoring criteria is damage, Puelles had zero chance of winning this fight. Yes, he landed 7-of-13 takedowns for 7:14 worth of control time, but did next to nothing with his constant positional advantages. Ziam, on the other hand, actually tried to hurt his opponent throughout the duration of the bout. If you're going to try to wrestle your way to a win, you need to do more when you have your opponent in a compromising spot. This was Puelles' first fight since November 2022. He's fought just eight times (5-3) despite being a member of the UFC roster since November 2016.
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Booked against Ziam
LightweightUFC
January 10, 2024
Puelles will fight Fares Ziam at UFC Mexico on Feb. 24, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Puelles had won five straight before dropping his most recent bout against Dan Hooker in November. Puelles will need to overcome three-inch height and reach advantages to defeat Ziam, who enters on a two-fight win streak of his own.
Looks broken in KO loss
LightweightUFC
November 12, 2022
Puelles lost to Dan Hooker via KO (kick) at 4:06 of Round 2 at UFC 281 on Saturday in New York.
ANALYSIS
Even when he had a submission threat in the first round, this wasn't the Puelles we're accustomed to seeing, as his explosiveness on the ground was nowhere to be found when working through the positions. On the feet, his forward pressure was replaced with tentativeness, which allowed Hooker to set traps and dictate the action until he found the decisive blow. The fact that Puelles opted to roll for his leg locks rather than wrestle is a bit concerning, but it may have been an overcorrection based on Hooker's takedown defense. Whatever the case, the Peruvian fighter's five-fight win streak was stopped dead in its tracks, and he falls to 13-3-0 in professional MMA as a result of the loss.
Added to UFC 281 card
LightweightUFC
August 23, 2022
Puelles will face Dan Hooker at UFC 281 on Nov. 12, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Puelles started his UFC career with a loss, but since then has rattled off five straight wins. The most recent was in April against Clay Guida. Hooker is on the other end of things having dropped four of his last five bouts.
Scores another submission win
LightweightUFC
April 23, 2022
Puelles defeated Clay Guida via submission (kneebar) at 3:01 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Puelles has now won five in a row since dropping his UFC debut, with three of those coming via kneebar. The one that put an end to Guida was a thing of beauty. Puelles started by going for armbar that Clay somehow managed to survive. Puelles -- a relatively young fighter at age 26 -- could have sulked when Guida appeared to end up in dominant top position, but he instead managed to roll through and straighten out Clay's leg, clamping on the kneebar that ended the fight. The effort against a UFC veteran ultimately would earn Puelles a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. It remains to be see if Claudio will offer enough offense on the feet to keep his opposition honest, but he's clearly a huge problem on the mat. It goes without saying that Puelles is worth keeping a close eye on moving forward.
Facing Clay Guida
LightweightUFC
January 14, 2022
Puelles will take on Clay Guida on April 23, Marcel Dorff of MMADNA reports.
ANALYSIS
Puelles suffered a TKO defeat in his UFC debut back in 2016 but has been on a tear since then, winning four straight matches. He most recently submitted Chris Gruetzemacher in the third round in December. His opponent, the 40-year-old Guida, has been with the UFC since 2006 and has won two of his last three fights following an extended run of mediocre results.