Frankie Saenz

Overview

Ten UFC fights, zero finishes, and a 5-5 record that sits right on the line. Frankie Saenz is a bantamweight from Phoenix who won every UFC fight he won on the judges' scorecards, and lost three of the other five by KO/TKO.

That is the whole shape of his run. When he wins, it goes the distance. When he loses, it can end abruptly.

He debuted in 2014 and fought out of Fight Ready in Scottsdale, AZ. He carries a 13-7-0 professional record across all promotions, and a two-fight losing streak into his next fight.

UFC Career

The start was clean. Saenz won his first three UFC fights, all three-rounders: a unanimous decision over Nolan Ticman at his August 2014 debut, another over Iuri Alcantara in February 2015, then a split decision over Sirwan Kakai that August. That three-fight run is his longest win streak in the UFC.

Then came the step up. At UFC 194 in December 2015, he lost a unanimous decision to Urijah Faber, an opponent our model rates as strong. A knockout loss to Eddie Wineland followed in July 2016, stopped at 1:54 of the third round, and a split-decision loss to Augusto Mendes in January 2017 made it three straight defeats.

He answered with two more wins: a split decision over Merab Dvalishvili in December 2017 and a unanimous decision over Henry Briones in May 2018. After that the losses turned violent. Marlon Vera stopped him in 1:25 of the first round in March 2019, and Jonathan Martinez finished him at 0:57 of the third in July 2020. Both stoppages are in his most recent UFC fights.

Five wins, five decisions. Not one finish.

Fighting Style

Saenz is a busy striker who is hard to hit. He lands at a strong clip and absorbs less than most, and his accuracy and defense sit around the UFC average. He also pairs that striking with takedown work, both getting his own and stopping them, which makes him a well-rounded fighter who wins rounds on activity.

He rarely hunts for submissions. His grappling shows up in takedowns, not finishing attempts.

That matches his results. All five of his UFC wins have gone to the scorecards, with no finishes in the group. His losses split two ways: three have come by KO/TKO and two by decision, so when he loses by stoppage, it has come on strikes.

Notable Wins

• Merab Dvalishvili — split decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega (2017)
• Henry Briones — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman (2018)
• Iuri Alcantara — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs Mir (2015)

Quick Facts

• Division: Bantamweight
• UFC record: 5-5 (all five wins by decision)
• Professional record (all promotions): 13-7-0
• UFC debut: 2014
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'6" / 66"
• Team: Fight Ready, Scottsdale, AZ
• Born: Phoenix, United States