John Castaneda

Overview

John Castaneda's UFC record is 4-5-1, and four of his five losses went to the scorecards. He's a bantamweight from Dallas who fights out of The Academy under the nickname "Sexi Mexi," and he carries a three-fight losing streak into his next fight, with the most recent one a split decision.

The record undersells how the fights play out. Castaneda has been stopped once in the UFC, by Daniel Santos in the second round. Everything else has gone the distance or ended in his favor.

Close fights, then, and not many of them have gone his way lately.

UFC Career

Castaneda's pro career includes an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series 1.4, where he beat Cheyden Leialoha by unanimous decision. That fight isn't part of his UFC record, which starts in July 2020 with a unanimous decision loss to Nathaniel Wood.

The next two fights were his best stretch. He knocked out Eddie Wineland in the first round at 4:44, then submitted Miles Johns in the third at 1:38. That's his longest UFC win streak at two, and both wins were finishes. Together they make up his entire finishing résumé in the UFC.

Daniel Santos ended the streak with a second-round KO/TKO at 4:28, the only time Castaneda has been finished in the UFC. He rebounded with back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Muin Gafurov and Kyung Ho Kang, the second on the UFC 295 card.

Since then the results have turned. Daniel Marcos took a unanimous decision in June 2024. Chris Gutierrez, an opponent our model rates as strong, won a split decision in April 2025. A majority draw with Mark Vologdin followed. Then Alatengheili won another split decision in September 2026.

Since the Kang win, that's three losses and a draw, with no finishes in either direction. It's a small sample, but he's been in a lot of tight rounds.

Fighting Style

John Castaneda is a busy, accurate striker. He lands more strikes per minute than most UFC fighters and connects at a high rate. He is also harder to hit than most, though he still takes his share of shots, which fits his fight-to-fight record of close decisions.

His takedown defense is a real strength, and opponents who try to wrestle him rarely get far. He shoots for takedowns at about the UFC average. He seldom hunts for submissions.

He is not just a point-fighter. Of his four UFC wins, one came by knockout in the first round and one by submission in the third, while the other two went to the scorecards.

Notable Wins

• Eddie Wineland — KO/TKO, round 1 (4:44), UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis (2021)
• Miles Johns — submission, round 3 (1:38), UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland (2022)
• Kyung Ho Kang — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira (2023)

Quick Facts

• Division: Bantamweight
• UFC record: 4-5-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 21-9-1
• UFC debut: 2020
• Stance: Switch
• Height / reach: 5'6" / 71"
• Team: The Academy
• Born: Dallas, TX, United States