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Who is Daniel Pineda?
Many famous fighters have come from the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA). Daniel Pineda is one of those excellent fighters who is well-known for his impressive ring performance. The American fighter fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Featherweight category (UFC).
Daniel Pineda, who fights out of Houston, has also fought in a number of mixed martial arts competitions, including Legacy Fighting Championship, Professional Fighters League, Bellator MMA, and Elite XC.
Furthermore, his violent and persistent fighting style inside the cage never ceases to astound followers of this sport.
DANIEL IS KNOWN AS THE PIT IN THE MMA COMMUNITY.
Interestingly, Pineda’s MMA career has been a rollercoaster ride from competing at Legacy Fighting Championship to signing with the world’s most respected and watched mixed martial arts championship, being dismissed by UFC after two years, and returning to the championship again.
In this post, we will go over his life and learn more about it, as well as the controversies in his career.
But first, some background information on Daniel Pineda.
Daniel Pineda | Childhood, Families, and Education
Daniel was born on August 6, 1985, in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Houston, Texas.
His parents were always encouraging of his sporting ambitions.
In terms of family, he has a brother named Jose Santibanez, who also assisted him in getting into fighting.
In terms of education, Daniel finished his studies in Houston.
In Harris County, Texas, he attended Waller High School.
Pineda began wrestling in high school before beginning MMA training at the age of 21.
The vicious fighter, in particular, trained in Brazilian Jujitsu and earned the level of black belt, which he used in his confrontations.
Daniel Pineda | Height, Weight, And Age
Pineda will be 37 years old in 2022.
Similarly, the UFC Featherweight combatant weighs 145 pounds (66 kilograms).
Daniel Pineda stands 5’7″ tall and has a reach of 70″ during fights (170 cm).
Daniel Pineda | Work
In 2007, the 37-year-old fighter began his professional MMA career.
Initially, he competed in the Legacy Fighting Championship, where he defeated WEC veteran Frank Gomez and had some great performances.
Daniel, on the other hand, completed his career with Legacy FC with a spectacular knockout victory.
Pineda signed with UFC in January 2012 and made his debut in the coveted championship on January 20, 2012, at UFC on FX against fellow UFC debutant Pat Schilling.
Similarly, Daniel began his UFC career with a victory.
He defeated Schilling through submission and earned his first UFC victory.
As a result, the UFC provided him with an ideal platform to advance his career.
On July 20, 2021, at UFC 149, he received his first knockout in his eventful MMA career against Antonio Carvalho.
Daniel competed in seven octagon battles, winning three of them.
However, he was released by the UFC on March 15, 2014, following a loss against Robert Whiteford.
Pineda then re-signed with Legacy FC in July 2012 and stayed for two years.
In 2014, he joined the Bellator MMA organization.
a contentious drug test
But for Daniel, 2019 was a stressful year riddled with controversies.
He competed in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) against Movlid Khaybulaev and Jeremy Kennedy.
Pineda defeated both fighters on the same night, but what happened next stunned Daniel.
Following his victory that night, he reserved his seat in the $1 Million finales.
Pineda, on the other hand, failed a Nevada Athletic Commission drug test and was flagged for having a high testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system.
As a result, his victories were annulled, and he faced a 6-month penalty and a $12,500 fine.
Obviously, this was a difficult period for Pineda because all of his efforts for the finale were futile and his victories were thrown out, but he acknowledged using a forbidden chemical in January 2020 and so had to face the repercussions.
Return to the UFC
Finally, six years after his release from the UFC, Daniel Pineda returned and re-signed with the organization in June 2020.
Fortunately, he won his first bout after his return.
Soon later, Daniel’s fight with Andre Fili was declared a no-contest when he was accidentally stabbed in the eye in round two and was unable to continue.
Not to add, he shared an interesting detail regarding his profession during his Legacy FC days, stating that he used to work as a full-time construction worker on days other than his fight nights.
Daniel Pineda | Girlfriend, Wife, & Children
Though Pineda was involved in a scandal during his MMA career, he has not been involved in any of his relationships.
In this situation, Daniel is a private man who manages to keep his personal life quiet.
He doesn’t share much of his personal life with his fans or the media.
Pineda is known to be married, and his wife’s name is Karla.
Daniel and Karla welcomed a baby girl called Olivia Yvette Pineda in June 2020, after announcing their pregnancy at the end of 2019.
Daniel Pineda’s Net Worth, Salary, and Earnings in His Career
Daniel’s earnings come from his bout fees after a few successful years in the MMA ring.
He does not appear to have any brand sponsorships.
Daniel Pineda’s estimated compensation is $101,000, according to reports.
Clearly, his pay has increased his net worth.
He has earned a lot of money by competing in MMA championships such as Legacy Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA, and Professional Fighters League.
Daniel Pineda, the famous MMA fighter and UFC Featherweight star, has a net worth of $15 million.
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Daniel Pineda | Online Presence
The UFC fighter is very active on social media.
He posts images of his fights and other things on his social media accounts.
Despite keeping his personal life private, Daniel shares a photo of his newborn daughter Olivia with his admirers on Instagram. Pineda also posts fitness and training videos.
On Instagram, the starfighter has 16.7 thousand followers.
Pineda is also quite active on Twitter, where he posts about his fights and victories.
Furthermore, he routinely updates his supporters about his fixtures and other matters via Twitter.
On his Twitter account, he has almost 5,000 followers.
Daniel also has a Facebook profile called Daniel “Pit” Pineda, which has over 2,000 likes.
On Facebook, he posts about his fights, weigh-ins, and other events.
The fighter also expressed his joy at the birth of his daughter to his followers and thanked them for their support.
His social media is managed by Iridium Sports Agency.