Damian Pinas throws down open challenge for UFC 335 – but the phone isn’t ringing

Damian Pinas is struggling to find his next victim opponent.

The heavy-handed striker, who styles himself as a dim mak practitioner, has made clear in a recent interview that he wants a place on the UFC 335 card on December 12. The problem for the surging contender is simple: as of now, he does not have an opponent.

A dangerous finisher with no dance partner

Claims that “nobody wants to fight me” are part of the sport’s standard vocabulary. In most cases, they sound like routine self-promotion in a profession built on risk and bravado.

With Pinas, the argument is harder to dismiss. He has stopped four opponents in the Octagon while appearing to expend minimal effort, building a highlight reel that has quickly made him one of the division’s most talked-about finishers.

At UFC 332, only a few weeks ago, Pinas appeared to gently place his fist on the chin of Andrey Pulyaev. The Russian went down “like the glove was soaked in chlorophyll”, a description that has followed the knockout across social media. The ease of the finish prompted Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier on commentary to underline just how unusual Pinas’ one-shot power looked in real time.

Performances like that matter in the context of the Unified Rules framework the UFC operates under, where clean, immediate knockouts are the most emphatic way to separate contenders in stacked divisions and accelerate a path toward ranked opposition.

The Susurkaev call-out that went nowhere

In his latest interview, Pinas again brought up the same name he mentioned in his post-fight comments at UFC 332: Baisangur Susurkaev.

The man nicknamed “Baba Yaga” has been calling for that matchup for some time. So far, he says, the response from Susurkaev’s side has been silence. Susurkaev, for his part, is also on a rise of his own, putting together a run of finishes – though, in terms of visual impact and speed of stoppage, none have matched the highlight moments Pinas has been producing.

From a competitive standpoint, the reluctance to engage with Pinas at this stage of his climb is understandable. For an ascending name such as Susurkaev, accepting an opponent with that level of knockout threat but without the profile of a long-established contender can represent a high-risk, limited-upside booking in a sport where one clean shot can drastically alter momentum and earning potential.

“He didn’t want the smoke” – and a push toward the top 15

Pinas says the lack of traction on the Susurkaev fight has forced him to adjust his targets.

“I moved from Susurkaev because he wasn’t accepting the fight,” he explained. “He didn’t want the smoke. So that’s why I say, ‘Okay, move forward. Let’s go to [for someone in the] top-15.’ But if he still wants the smoke, let the UFC send the contract. Let’s get it booked. Let’s fight 12th December. Let’s get it.”

The message is consistent: Pinas remains open to Susurkaev, but only if formal bout agreements are put in front of both camps. Otherwise, he wants a ranked opponent next.

In a promotion where divisional hierarchies are shaped by a mix of rankings, commercial appeal, and availability, that stance is significant. A successful appearance at UFC 335 against a top-15 name would likely move Pinas from exciting prospect status into the wider title conversation, particularly given the manner of his recent finishes.

Perception, reputation, and matchmaking pressure

Pinas has been explicit about how he views the matchup with Susurkaev. He has said he believes it would be an easy win, an assessment rooted in the confidence of a fighter who has watched opponents “fall asleep” every time he lands cleanly. “I want to show the world that he is not unbeatable. People can beat him. I can beat him, easy,” he said.

Those comments do more than fuel a potential rivalry. Publicly framing an opponent as beatable – and himself as the one to prove it – adds pressure on both the fighter being called out and the UFC matchmakers tasked with balancing merit, risk, and schedule gaps on future cards.

For contenders around the edges of the top 15, there are clear career calculations at play:

• A bout with Pinas offers the chance to halt the rise of a dangerous striker before he reaches established-contender status.
• At the same time, the risk of being added to his knockout reel may discourage those without a firm rankings or contractual incentive to take that chance on relatively short notice.

Open call for UFC 335

With the Susurkaev fight apparently off the table for now, Pinas has issued an open call for an opponent on December 12, the date he wants to compete at UFC 335.

For the UFC, the situation is familiar: a surging finisher wants to stay active, the highlight clips are circulating, and a major numbered event needs compelling matchups that can sit comfortably on an international pay-per-view card.

For Pinas, the stakes are clear. Another emphatic finish on that stage would likely confirm his status as one of the most dangerous strikers in his division and strengthen his claim to consistent placement on high-profile events. Failing to find an opponent, however, would extend his layoff at a moment when momentum, and public attention, are very much in his favor.

Right now, the message from “Baba Yaga” is simple: the date is set, the gloves are ready, and the contract can go to any contender willing to stand in front of one of the most talked-about punchers in the modern UFC.