Chris Cariaso
Active 2011–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 74.0
Scouting report
Chris "Kamikaze" Cariaso earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 178. Born in San Jose, California, Cariaso competed at both bantamweight and flyweight, building his game around Muay Thai striking and counter-wrestling, reflected in a 78 Kickboxing and 82 Cardio.
Peak ratings
By edition
In 2012 Cariaso beat Takeya Mizugaki on a disputed unanimous decision at UFC 144 and Josh Ferguson on a decision, then lost to John Moraga by guillotine at UFC 155 and to Jussier Formiga on the cards in May 2013. In October 2013 he stopped Iliarde Santos by TKO in round two in Brazil. His southpaw kickboxing combinations and footwork during this run are reflected in a 78 Kickboxing and 82 Cardio.
Building a three-fight winning streak in 2014 with decision wins over Danny Martinez and Louis Smolka, Cariaso earned a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 178, where he was submitted in round two. In 2015, he lost to Henry Cejudo. His movement and kicking output against elite opposition are reflected in his 78 Kickboxing and 76 Fight IQ.
Chris Cariaso, the San Jose bantamweight who found flyweight
Chris Cariaso turned pro in 2006 and fought in Northern California before moving to Tucson to train with Rise Combat Sports. He won the ISCF bantamweight title in 2009 with a TKO of Rolando Velasco, then came to the WEC and was carried over when the WEC merged into the bigger promotion. He dropped to flyweight in 2012 and eventually got a title shot against Demetrious Johnson in 2014. He is a solid, unspectacular flyweight who wins rounds by staying busy.
Breaking down Cariaso by attribute
Boxing. Accurate rather than powerful. He needed several decisions to make his case.
Kickboxing. His best striking number. He beat Takeya Mizugaki on the scorecards in 2012, in a fight Dana White thought Mizugaki won.
Wrestling. Below his other skills. He was never known as a takedown artist, and his wins mostly came standing.
BJJ. Decent, but Renan Barao submitted him at WEC 53 and John Moraga submitted him in 2012.
Strength. The lowest on his card. He won by volume and decision, not by overpowering anyone.
Durability. He took a lot of scorecard fights and was rarely finished except by submissions.
Cardio. The top rating. He beat Louis Smolka by split decision in 2014 and Danny Martinez by decision earlier the same year.
Fight IQ. Good at picking exchanges. He beat Iliarde Santos by TKO in 2013.
A fighter who lasts
His cardio rating is 82, the best number on his card. He won a run of decisions before the title shot, over Josh Ferguson, Danny Martinez, and Louis Smolka among others. If a simulated fight goes long, he is the one still moving forward in the third round.
Strength gap against bigger flyweights
At 68, strength is where he lags. John Moraga finished him with a guillotine in the third round of their 2012 fight, and he lost decisions to Jussier Formiga, Henry Cejudo, and Sergio Pettis. Anyone who can clinch him and put weight on him will make his other tools harder to use.
Keep exploring
Closest flyweight profiles to Chris Cariaso, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Ben Nguyenbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 68
- Raulian Paivabest cardio 82 · weakest strength 70
- Louis Smolkabest cardio 82 · weakest strength 69
- John Moragabest cardio 82 · weakest strength 72
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Chris Cariaso's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Chris Cariaso into your build
Chris Cariaso enters the pool on any spin landing on flyweight between 2010 and 2015. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Chris Cariaso is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Chris Cariaso's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.