John Anthony Castañeda (born December 18, 1991) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competes in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. B ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional competitor since 2012, he formerly competed for

Combate Global Combate Global (previously Combate Americas) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) sports franchise and media company directed toward a Hispanic audience. It includes TV broadcasts, live events, and mobile content Combate Global airs on Univi ...

Background

Castañeda was born in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

. At four, he relocated to Minnesota, where he currently resides. During his freshman year of college, he wrested for the

Minnesota State Mavericks The Minnesota State Mavericks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Minnesota State University, Mankato. The school's athletic program includes 21 varsity sports teams. More than 600 students participate each year in athletics ...

. In 2013, Castañeda graduated from

Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is ...

. He double-majored in criminal justice and Spanish with a minor in social work.

Professional mixed martial arts career

Early career

Castañeda went 15–1 in amateur competition, and racked a professional record of 7–2 in the regional circuit of Minnesota before signing with

Combate Americas Combate Global (previously Combate Americas) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) sports franchise and media company directed toward a Hispanic audience. It includes TV broadcasts, live events, and mobile content Combate Global airs on Univi ...

. In Combate Americas, Castañeda amassed four straight victories which led to a shot at the inaugural Combate Americas Bantamweight Championship. Castañeda faced Gustavo Lopez at Combate Americas - Empire Rising on October 14, 2016, with the bout being originally being for the championship, however Castañeda missed weight, coming in at 137.5 lbs. He won the bout via fourth-round knockout. Castañeda was cut from

after he refused the rematch against Gustavo Lopez, however he later returned to the promotion, defeating

Chris Beal Chris Beal (born August 6, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Beal wrestled at Ventura High School where he placed second at the state c ...

via TKO in the second round at Combate Americas 14.

Dana White's Contender Series

Having racked up a record of 13–2, Castañeda was invited to compete at Dana White's Contender Series 5, facing Cheyden Leialoha. He won the bout via unanimous decision, but was not awarded with a contract to the UFC.

Return to Combate

On October 26, 2017, it was announced that Castañeda would participate in Combate Americas' Copa Combate 2017 one-night tournament that took place on November 11, 2017. In the quarterfinals Castañeda faced Kevin Moreyra, winning by first-round submission. Advancing to the semifinals, he defeated Marc Gomez by unanimous decision. In the tournament final Castañeda faced Levy Marroquín, losing the bout via unanimous decision. Castañeda was expected to headline Combate Americas Mexico vs. USA against

Érik Pérez Érik Gregorio Pérez Ruvalcaba (born November 19, 1989) is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Bellator MMA promotion. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for Shark Fights, BAMMA, U ...

on October 13, 2018, but the bout was postponed to a later date because Castañeda caught staph infection. After the tournament, Castañeda went on to lose one and win one bout in Combate Americas before being signed to the UFC on short notice.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Replacing the mourning Umar Nurmagomedov on short notice on July 26, 2020, Castañeda made his UFC debut against Nathaniel Wood at

UFC on ESPN 14 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 14'' and ''UFC Fight Island 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 26, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Castañeda faced

Eddie Wineland Edward Alan Wineland Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2003 until 2022, Wineland was the in ...

on February 20, 2021 at

UFC Fight Night 185 ''UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 185'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 43'' and ''UFC Vegas 19'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 20, 2021 at the UF ...

. He won the fight via first round technical knockout. Castañeda faced

Miles Johns Miles Xavier Johns (born March 30, 1994) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also formerly competed for Legacy Fighting ...

on February 5, 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland. He won the fight via third round technical submission. As the last bout of his initial UFC contract, Castañeda faced Daniel Santos on October 1, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 211 ''UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 211'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 69'' and ''UFC Vegas 61'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 1, 2022, at the UFC Apex ...

. He lost the bout in the second round, getting knocked out with a knee. This bout earned the ''Fight of the Night'' award. As the first fight of his new four-fight contract, Castañeda was scheduled to face Mateus Mendonça on June 3, 2023, at

UFC on ESPN 46 ''UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 46'' or ''UFC Vegas 74'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 3, 2023, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, ...

. However, Mendonça withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Muin Gafurov. Castañeda won the fight by unanimous decision. Castañeda is scheduled to face

John Castañeda John Anthony Castañeda (born December 18, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2012, he formerly competed for Combate G ...

Kang Kyung-ho Kang Kyung-ho ( ko, 강경호, born September 9, 1987), often anglicized Kyung Ho Kang, is a South Korean mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC's bantamweight division. Career Kang started his professional career in 2007. He fought ma ...

on November 18, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 229.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 20–6 , Muin Gafurov , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Kara-France vs. Albazi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

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, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

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Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Marcelo Rojo , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Combate Americas 35 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 , José Alday , Decision (split) , Combate Americas 20 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–3 , Levy Marroquín , Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=3, Combate Americas 18: Copa Combate , rowspan=3, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 , rowspan=3,

Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 , Marc Gomez , Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 , Kevin Moreyra , Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:52 , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Cheyden Leialoha , Decision (unanimous) , Dana White's Contender Series 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 ,

, TKO (punches) , Combate Americas 14 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist des ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Gustavo Lopez , TKO (punches) , Combate Americas 9 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 2:24 ,

Verona, New York Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee) is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy. Verona is located so ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Angel Cruz , TKO (punches) , Combate Americas 8 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Gabriel Solorio , Decision (split) , Combate Americas 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Federico Lopez , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Combate Americas: Road to the Championship 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Justin Governale , Decision (unanimous) , Combate Americas: Road to the Championship 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Joe Pearson , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Power Surge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 , Carlton, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Pedro Velasco , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Total Dominance , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 , Carlton, Minnesota, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2 , Matt Brown , Decision (split) , RFA 19: Checco vs. Collier , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Prior Lake, Minnesota Prior Lake is an exurban city southwest of Minneapolis seated next to Savage and Shakopee in Scott County in the state of Minnesota. Surrounding the shores of Lower and Upper Prior Lake, the city lies south of the Minnesota River in an area k ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Ruddy Gray , TKO (punches) , Driller Promotions: Live MMA at 7 Clans Casino , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:17 , River Falls, Minnesota, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 , Matt Brown , TKO (punches) , Driller Promotions: Mecca 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Derrick Mandell , Decision (unanimous) , Driller Promotions / SEG: Caged Chaos at Canterbury Park 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Shakopee, Minnesota Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Adam Schumacher , TKO (submission to punches) , Driller Promotions: Mecca 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:32 ,

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Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brandon Abrego , KO (punch) , Driller Promotions / SEG: Caged Chaos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:36 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Castañeda, John 1991 births Living people Sportspeople from Dallas Mixed martial artists from Texas Minnesota State Mavericks wrestlers American male sport wrestlers Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni