Yadier del Valle

Overview

Three UFC wins, three first-round finishes, and the only fight that went the distance was the one he lost.

Yadier del Valle, "The Cuban Problem," is a Cuban southpaw at featherweight with a 3-1 UFC record and an 11-1 professional record across all promotions. He debuted in the UFC in 2025 and has not yet had a UFC fight go to the scorecards in his favor. He is not a champion, but the finishing rate is hard to ignore.

Short fights, clean results.

UFC Career

Del Valle first showed up on the UFC's radar at Dana White's Contender Series 8.10, where he beat Antonio Monteiro by unanimous decision over three rounds. That was a professional fight but not a UFC bout, so it sits outside his UFC record.

His UFC debut came against Connor Matthews at UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales, and it lasted 2:54 of round 1, ending in a submission. Isaac Dulgarian followed at UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs Onama, and the result was the same: a first-round submission, this time at 3:41.

Then came Jordan Leavitt at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez. It went three rounds and Leavitt took a unanimous decision, the only blemish on del Valle's UFC run.

He answered at UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld against Darren Elkins, finishing him by KO/TKO at 0:35 of round 1. He carries a one-fight winning streak into his next fight.

Fighting Style

Yadier del Valle is a sharp, economical striker who connects often and rarely gets hit back. He lands more than most fighters, with accuracy well above the norm, and he absorbs far fewer strikes than the typical UFC fighter.

He is also a real submission threat. Two of his three UFC wins came by submission, and he hunts for finishes on the mat more than almost anyone. He gets there without leaning on takedowns, which he rarely shoots for. He is hard to put on the mat himself, too.

All three of his UFC wins have ended in the first round: one by knockout or TKO and two by submission. Four UFC fights is a small sample, but the pattern has been consistent.

Notable Wins

• Darren Elkins — KO/TKO, round 1 (0:35), UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld (2026)
• Isaac Dulgarian — Submission, round 1 (3:41), UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs Onama (2025)
• Connor Matthews — Submission, round 1 (2:54), UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Featherweight
• UFC record: 3-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 11-1-0
• UFC debut: 2025
• Stance: Southpaw
• Height / reach: 5'9" / 69"
• Team: Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai
• Born: Cuba