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Austin Deanda poses for a portrait in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Zuffa Boxing

Austin DeAnda | Fighting For His Family

Unbeaten Middleweight Wants To Change His Family’s Life, And Sees His Zuffa Boxing Debut As The Perfect Time To Take His Career To The Next Level.
By Simon Head, on X: @simonheadsport • Jan. 21, 2026

At the age of just 22, Austin DeAnda already has 17 pro fights to his name, and the undefeated middleweight plans on taking his skills onto the big stage with Zuffa Boxing in a bid to change his family’s lives.

“It's an honor to be able to be on the first Zuffa card and be on the main card,” DeAnda told UFC.com in Las Vegas this week. “I feel like just, I've worked so hard for it, and them reaching out, willing to sign me and stuff like that, it was an opportunity that I couldn't give up. 

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“I just felt like Zuffa was probably going to be the next big promotion out there, because it involves Dana White, and Dana White's done great with the UFC and things like that. So I felt like this is the right step for me.

“It's exciting to be able to get my name out there on a big platform, one of the biggest platform there is out there, and being able to fight in front of millions of people nationwide is it's incredible.”

DeAnda’s journey to the ring is a tale of transformation and determination as he continues to pick up where his late uncle, a former prizefighter, left off. Now it’s DeAnda’s turn to throw hands for money as he looks to climb the Zuffa Boxing ladder.

“He was a Golden Gloves champ in West Virginia, where I was born,” explained DeAnda.

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“Sadly, his life was taken when he was young – I believe he was 26 – it was before I was born. 

“My dad tried to take it over (but) boxing wasn't something he loved to do, so he became a country singer. When I was 13, I was 240 pounds, and I wanted to change myself and change the situation that I was in. I told my dad I wanted to be a boxer when I was 17, and then I started boxing since then.

“He was like, ‘Are you sure that's something you wanted to do?’ I always wrestled, so I knew it was going to be tough going in. Wrestling was a pretty tough sport for me. But, you know, I'm ready for whatever it takes.”

That gritty toughness from the wrestling mats came in handy for DeAnda, who has carried that determination into his boxing career. “The Native Nightmare” has a perfect 17-0 record that includes 11 knockouts, and he’s excited to showcase his own brand of boxing in the co-main event on Friday night.

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“I’m versatile. I can brawl if I need to, or I can box,” he explained.

“I have really good feet, so I feel like I should use them when I need to. I like boxing a lot more than brawling. ‘If I don't got to get hit, then I'm not going to’ type of thing, you know? That’s definitely the name of the game.”

He’ll look to advance his record to 18-0 with victory over another undefeated fighter. Mexico’s Misael Rodriguez arrives in Las Vegas with a 15-0 record, and DeAnda knows he’s facing a formidable test.

“I know he can hit hard,” he admitted.

“I know he's fought at a bigger weight for a few years now, so now he's coming back to his natural weight that he was at before. So he's going to definitely bring some power to the table, maybe a little bit more experience.

“But I feel like just me being active, my feet, and being able to adapt when I need to, it's going to give him some problems, as well.”

Friday night is more than just another fight for DeAnda. It’s a chance to embark on a journey that could transform the fortunes of not just himself, but also his family. Doing exactly that is what drives him as he prepares to showcase his skills at Zuffa Boxing 01.

“I want to get myself out of my predicament,” he stated.

“Me and my mom and my family weren’t gifted the silver spoon, and it's the cards that we were dealt, the cards we got to play with. I feel like God gave me a talent that I need to pursue. And I'm looking forward to doing what I got to do to get to the top. 

“It's all just seeing my mom and dad happy at the end of the day, seeing them smile when I come home, that I'm safe after my bout, and just seeing the smile on their face knowing that their son's doing good things and not out here doing stuff that some 22-year-olds do.”

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