The mixed martial arts (MMA) world has provided the world with many great fighters. Daniel Pineda is one of those great fighters who is known for his impressive performance inside the ring.
The American fighter competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Likewise, fighting out of Houston, Daniel Pineda has competed in many mixed martial arts competitions like Legacy Fighting Championship, Professional Fighters League, Bellator MMA, and Elite XC.
Also, with his ferocious and relentless fighting style inside the cage, he never fails to amaze the fans of this sport.
In the MMA community, Daniel is nicknamed The Pit.
Interestingly, Pineda has had quite from competing at Legacy Fighting Championship to signing for the world’s most admired and viewed mixed martial arts championship, getting released by UFC after two years and returning to the championship again a rollercoaster ride in his MMA career.
Today, we will go through his life in this article and know more about it and the controversies in his career. But first, let us start with some quick facts about Daniel Pineda.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Daniel Pineda |
| Birth Date | August 06, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Dallas, Texas |
| Nick Name | The Pit |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Waller High School, Houston, Texas |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Father’s Name | Not Available |
| Mother’s Name | Not Available |
| Siblings | Jose Santinabez |
| Age | 38 |
| Height | 5’7’’ (170cm) |
| Weight | 145 lbs (66 kg) |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Team | 4 oz Fight Club |
| Rank | Black Belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu |
| Total Wins | 27 out of 44 contests |
| Build | Muscular |
| Married | Yes |
| Spouse | Karla |
| Children | A daughter (Olivia Yvetta Pineda) |
| Profession | Professional MMA fighter |
| Fighting Out of | Houston, Texas |
| Fighting Style | Wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Total Knockouts | 9 |
| Reach | 70” (178 cm) |
| Division | Featherweight |
| Turned Pro | 2007 |
| Favorite Video Game | Call Of Duty (COD) Black Ops |
| Net Worth | $15 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | MMA Gloves, MMA Punching Bag |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Daniel Pineda | Early Life, Family, And Education
Born on August 06, 1985, in Dallas, Texas, Daniel was brought up in Houston, Texas. His parents were always supportive of his interest in the sport. Regarding siblings, he has a brother Jose Santibanez who also helped him get into fighting.
Talking about education, Daniel completed his schooling in Houston. He went to Waller High School in Harris County, Texas. In his high school days, Pineda started wrestling before officially training in mixed martial arts at 21.
Especially, the ferocious fighter trained in Brazilian Jujitsu and reached the rank of black belt in it, which he uses in his fights.
Daniel Pineda | Age, Height, And Weight
As of 2024, Pineda is 38 years old.
Likewise, the UFC Featherweight fighter weighs 145 lb or 66 kg. With a reach of 70” during fights, Daniel Pineda has a height of 5’7” (170 cm).
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Daniel Pineda | Career
The 38 years old fighter started his professional career as an MMA fighter in 2007.
Initially, he fought in Legacy Fighting Championship with some impressive performances during his years in the championship, where he defeated WEC veteran Frank Gomez. However, Daniel ended his time in Legacy FC with a dramatic knockout win.
In January 2012, Pineda signed with UFC and debuted in the coveted championship on January 20, 2012, at UFC on FX against fellow UFC debutant Pat Schilling.
Likewise, Daniel took off in his UFC journey with a win. He defeated Schilling by submission and recorded his first-ever win in UFC. Thus, the UFC provided him a perfect platform to lift his career.
In his eventful MMA career, he suffered his first knockout against Antonio Carvalho on July 2021 at UFC 149.
Altogether, Daniel fought 7 fights in the octagon, where he won 3 contests. But he was released by UFC on March 15, 2014, following a defeat with Robert Whiteford.
Then, Pineda re-signed with Legacy FC in July 2012 and continued for 2 years. Subsequently, he signed for the Bellator MMA promotion in 2014.
Controversial Drug Test
But, 2019 was a hectic year filled with controversies for Daniel. He joined Professional Fighters League (PFL) and fought Movlid Khaybulaev and Jeremy Kennedy.
On the same night, Pineda defeated both the fighters, but what came next struck Daniel. After the wins on that night, he reserved his ticket to the $1 Million finales.
However, Pineda failed a Nevada Athletic Commission administered drug test and was flagged for having an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system.
As a result, his wins were overturned, and he faced suspension for 6 months and a fine of $12,500.
Obviously, this was a hard time for Pineda as all his efforts for the finale were of no value, and his wins were ruled out, but he admitted the use of a banned substance in January 2020, and therefore, he had to face the consequences.
Return to UFC
Finally, six years after his UFC release, Daniel Pineda returned and re-signed with UFC in June 2020. Luckily, he won his first fight after returning.
Soon after, his contest with Andre Fili was declared a no-contest when Daniel was accidentally poked in the eye in round two, and he was deemed unable to continue.
Also not to mention, he revealed an interesting fact about his work in his interview during his days in Legacy FC, where he stated that he used to work as a full-time construction worker on the days other than his fight nights.
Daniel Pineda | Girlfriend, Wife, And Kids
Though Pineda got into a controversy in his MMA career, he hasn’t had any in his relationships.
In this case, Daniel is a private man, or we can say he manages to keep his private life a secret. He does not open up much about his personal life to his fans or the media.
However, it is known that Pineda is married, and his wife’s name is Karla.
At the end of 2019, the couple announced that a baby was on the way, and in June 2020, Daniel and Karla were gifted a baby girl they named Olivia Yvette Pineda.
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Daniel Pineda | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings
After some good years in MMA rings, Daniel’s earnings are from his fight salaries. However, he is not known to have any brand endorsements.
Also, it is reported that the approximate salary of Daniel Pineda is $101,000.
Obviously, his salary has boosted his net worth. Having participated in many MMA championships like Legacy Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA, Professional Fighters League, he has earned quite a money.
The great MMA fighter and UFC Featherweight star Daniel Pineda has a total net worth of $15 Million.
Daniel Pineda | Social Media Presence
The UFC fighter is quite active on social media platforms. He shares his fight pictures and other things on his social media handles.
Though he keeps his private life secret, Daniel shares the picture of his newborn child Olivia with his fans on his Instagram. Pineda posts the videos of his workout and training too.
The starfighter has 16.7 thousand followers on his Instagram account. Also, Pineda is quite active on his Twitter, where he tweets about his fights and wins.
In addition, he constantly updates his fans about his fixtures and many more through Twitter. Over 5 thousand people follow him on his Twitter account.
Moreover, Daniel also has a Facebook page named Daniel “Pit” Pineda with over 2 thousand likes.
He shares about his fights, weigh-ins, and many more on Facebook. The fighter also shared the happiness of having a baby girl with his fans and thanked them for the support.
An agency named Iridium Sports Agency handles his social media.
FAQs about Daniel Pineda
With quite a good fan following, and competing in one of the prestigious MMA competitions gets Daniel in the eyes of many people who want to know more about him.
As a result, there are many queries about Daniel Pineda that people want to know. Here are some frequently asked questions about Daniel Pineda.
Where does Daniel Pineda train, and who is his trainer?
Since the beginning of his career, Daniel Pineda is associated with a Houston-based fight club 4oz fight club. In addition, He says that he is close to his friends in the fight club.
Likewise, Robert Perez trains Daniel Pineda or, as Daniel calls him, Robert “Bob” Perez. Also, Daniel gives Bob full credit for helping him build his overall MMA career.
In one of his interviews, Pineda said that Bob knows how to use his strength in the most productive ways.
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Which drug was found in Daniel Pineda’s system in 2019, which caused him the suspension of 6 months?
Pineda was penalized for using a banned substance during his fights in PFL, where he won two fights in one night and secured his position for the $1million finale scheduled to happen on the New Year’s Eve.
However, the exact substance that was used has not been disclosed by the administration. But, Daniel used his Twitter to let his fans know that no steroids were used.
Why was Daniel Pineda’s recent fight with Andre Fili at UFC Vegas 30 declared a no contest?
Actually, the fight between Daniel Pineda and Andre Fili at UFC Vegas 30 was declared a no-contest because of an accidental eye poke by Filli in the second round.
It was a neck-to-neck fight full of action for two rounds; however, with nearly 50 seconds remaining to the second round, Filli happened to poke Daniel’s eye immediately.
So, when officials checked Pineda, they finally found that his eyesight was hindered when he guessed the number of fingers shown to him incorrectly.
Finally, he was deemed unable to continue.
