Athletes
Juan Diaz is Ready to Make a Statement
DWCS Grad And Bantamweight Newcomer Talks Debuting This Weekend In Las Vegas At UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa
Seven months ago, Juan Diaz rolled into the Meta APEX on the final week of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, teamed up with Won Il Kwon for one of the most intense back-and-forth battles of the season, and closed things out with a spinning back elbow knockout with two seconds remaining in the second round.
The finish earned a classic Dana White reaction outside the Octagon, and the performance earned the 27-year-old Peruvian bantamweight an opportunity to compete in the UFC. This weekend, Diaz is back in Vegas for the first time since, set to make his promotional debut against Malcolm Wellmaker this weekend on the main card of the UFC Fight Night event headlined by Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa.
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“Vegas is so warm,” Diaz said with a laugh when asked how it felt to be back in town, readying to make the walk to the Octagon for the first time. “It’s very exciting (being here) again in Vegas for another victory. I am really happy for Saturday.”
DWCS Full Fight | Juan Diaz vs Kwon Wonil
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DWCS Full Fight | Juan Diaz vs Kwon Wonil
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The recent Contender Series grad touches down in Las Vegas, riding an eight-fight winning streak and having spent the better part of his time since claiming his spot on the roster preparing for this opportunity. His Instagram account is littered with sweaty pictures of him putting in work inside the UFC Performance Institute in Mexico City, building up his strength and conditioning in order to make the colossal leap from thriving on the regional circuit to competing on the biggest stage in the sport.
One series of pictures features him standing in the Octagon, taking guidance from former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who is both a role model for and mentor too so many of the athletes coming out of Mexico right now.
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“Brandon Moreno is my friend,” began Diaz, a smile washing over his face as he said the words aloud. “I knew him in Tijuana. He will be in my corner, so the energy is different for me.
“I have the champ in my corner, you know? It’s great,” added the bantamweight prospect, who had Moreno in his corner for his Contender Series win and previously trained with the two-time flyweight titleholder when both were at Entram Gym earlier in their careers. “Brandon has a lot of experience when fighting, when training, when (in the) corner, so it’s nice for me.”
While the Class of ’25 has already enjoyed a great deal of success through the first four months and change of 2026, most of the members of last season’s graduating class weren’t dropped through straight into the fray the way Diaz has been this weekend.
The pairing with Wellmaker is a double-edged sword, as getting matched up with “The Machine” means main card placement and a chance for Diaz to make a statement straight out of the gates in his UFC debut. But it also means he’s being positioned opposite someone who has a pair of knockout victories already on his resume and a chip on his shoulder after suffering his first professional loss back in November.
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It’s high risk, high reward, and Diaz said he’s thrilled for the chance to start his UFC journey opposite Wellmaker.
“Completely excited for fighting with Malcolm,” he said when asked about the chance to face the Season 8 alum, who earned post-fight bonuses for his wins over Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho early last year before getting upset by short-notice replacement Ethyn Ewing at UFC 322 in New York City. “He (tough), he’s tall for the division, and really dangerous, but my style is very complicated, so I am ready.
“I’m ready for striking, I am ready for lucha. He has power, but I have mentality, heart, and power too, of course. Don’t blink!”
Having left the UFC CEO gobsmacked following his late-round finish of Kwon back in October, Diaz has every intention of doing the same this weekend when he ventures into the Octagon for the first time in search of a victory and a little something extra as well.
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“(We’re not going to finish) the fight,” began Diaz, meaning that the bout would not go the full 15 minutes. “The fight will finish in the second round by knockout or submission. I would like a knockout, but I would like a submission too. I want to finish in the UFC — for my record, for my name. I want to watch Dana (say), ‘Whoa! The bonus is for you!’
“Right now, I’m a different fighter mentally, better (physically), my game is more complete,” he added. “Right now, I am very dangerous. I’m so ready for Saturday.”
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!