Another Contender Series grad looking to translate success in Las Vegas this past summer into a triumphant UFC debut is Baeza, who scored a unanimous decision win over Victor Reyna to run his undefeated streak to start his pro career to seven. The 27-year-old has never actually tasted defeat in the cage, having gone 6-0 as an amateur before making the transition to the professional ranks and he’ll look to keep it that way on Saturday when he squares off with Hector Aldana.
This is a home game of sorts for Baeza, who trains at MMA Masters in Miami, which should help ease any nerves he may experience heading into the Octagon for the first time. Standing six-foot-two, the undefeated prospect has tremendous size for the division and makes good use of his size, as he showed during his contract-winning effort inside the UFC Apex in June.
Aldana was sidelined for three years following his time on Season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America and hasn’t been able to find his footing since returning to action, dropping a pair of bouts to Song Kenan and Laureano Staropoli since returning. That said, he’s a durable, aggressive fighter who has already crossed the threshold into the UFC Octagon on two occasions, and he won’t be fazed by the bright lights that accompany competing on the biggest stage in the sport.
Welterweight is a deep division where making headway is hard, but if Baeza can turn in a performance comparable to the one he delivered to secure this opportunity on Saturday, fans should come away from this weekend’s upcoming event talking about “Caramel Thunder” and his prospects in the 170-pound weight class.
