John Castaneda
Active 2020–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 73.0
Scouting report
John Castaneda was born in Dallas on December 18, 1991, moved to Minnesota at four, and wrestled for Minnesota State Mankato as a freshman. He graduated in 2013 with a double major in criminal justice and Spanish. He trains out of Minneapolis at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. He lost the Copa Combate final to Levy Marroquin on November 11, 2017, won on the Contender Series without getting a contract, and debuted in the UFC on July 26, 2020 as a replacement for Umar Nurmagomedov.
Peak ratings
John Castaneda: a Minnesota bantamweight who fought in the UFC on short notice
His debut in Abu Dhabi ended in a unanimous decision loss to Nathaniel Wood. He stopped Eddie Wineland with punches at 4:44 of round one on February 20, 2021 and submitted Miles Johns with an arm-triangle at 1:38 of round three on February 5, 2022. Daniel Santos knocked him out in round two that October in a Fight of the Night. By the page's table, his UFC record is 4-5 with one draw.
Castaneda, rating by rating
Boxing. 77. Wineland was stopped by punches in round one in Las Vegas in February 2021.
Kickboxing. 75. Santos knocked him out with punches and a knee at 4:28 of round two at UFC Fight Night 211 in October 2022.
Wrestling. 76. He wrestled at Minnesota State and took Muin Gafurov the distance for a unanimous decision in June 2023.
BJJ. 76. Johns tapped to an arm-triangle at 1:38 of round three, a technical submission.
Strength. 74. He took Kang Kyung-ho the distance at a 138 pound catchweight at UFC 295 in November 2023 and won a unanimous decision.
Durability. 80. The Santos fight was a Fight of the Night and the end of his first UFC contract.
Cardio. 82. Daniel Marcos beat him on a unanimous decision in Louisville in June 2024.
Fight IQ. 76. Chris Gutierrez beat him on a split decision at featherweight in April 2025, after Castaneda withdrew from their UFC 313 fight with an illness hours before the event.
Cardio at 82 and a Fight of the Night
The Santos fight earned a Fight of the Night bonus even though he lost. He took Gafurov and Kang the distance. On April 18, 2026 he fought Mark Vologdin to a majority draw at a 139 pound catchweight. A point was deducted in round two of both the Gafurov and Vologdin fights.
Strength at 74 and a mixed record
Wood, Santos, Marcos, Gutierrez and Alateng Heili each beat him, Heili on a split decision in September 2026. He took the Wood fight on short notice and the Gafurov fight when Mateus Mendonca withdrew. A heavier puncher in another slot gives the build a finishing option.
Keep exploring
Closest bantamweight profiles to John Castaneda, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Davey Grantbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 73
- Takeya Mizugakibest cardio 84 · weakest strength 73
- Brad Pickettbest cardio 84 · weakest strength 74
- Ivan Menjivarbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 72
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits John Castaneda's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft John Castaneda into your build
John Castaneda enters the pool on any spin landing on bantamweight between 2020 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how John Castaneda is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of John Castaneda'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.