Legacy Fighting Championship Pineda was the Featherweight Champion of
Legacy Fighting Championship. None of his fights with Legacy went to decision with notable wins over fighters such as
WEC veteran
Frank Gomez. Pineda's fights with Legacy Fighting Championships were always exciting and his last fight with Legacy Fighting Championships before he went to the UFC ended in a TKO by spinning backfist at Legacy Fighting Championships 9.
Ultimate Fighting Championship In early January 2012, it was announced that Pineda had been signed to the UFC. He made his debut on January 20, 2012, at
UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller against fellow UFC newcomer Pat Schilling. Pineda won the fight via submission in the first round. Pineda faced
Mackens Semerzier on March 3, 2012, at
UFC on FX 2, replacing an injured
Robbie Peralta. He won the fight via triangle armbar in the first round. Pineda faced
Mike Brown on May 26, 2012, at
UFC 146. Pineda lost the bout via unanimous decision. Pineda faced
Antonio Carvalho on July 21, 2012, at
UFC 149, replacing an injured
George Roop. Pineda lost the fight after he was knocked out for the first time in his professional MMA career. Pineda returned after a layoff to face
Justin Lawrence on April 13, 2013, at
The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. Pineda won the fight via submission in the first round, earning
Submission of the Night honors for his performance. Pineda faced
Diego Brandão on August 17, 2013, at
UFC Fight Night 26 He lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Pineda faced
Robert Whiteford on March 15, 2014, at
UFC 171. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, and was subsequently released from the
UFC.
Return to Legacy FC Following his
UFC release, Pineda re-signed with Legacy Fighting Championships in July 2014. Pineda faced
Leonard Garcia at Legacy FC 37 on November 14, 2014. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Pineda next faced Thomas Webb at Legacy FC 39 on February 28, 2015. He won the fight via submission early in the first round.
Return to Bellator MMA After nearly a six-year absence, Pineda returned to the
Bellator MMA promotion in 2016. He faced
Emmanuel Sanchez on the main card at
Bellator 149 on February 19, 2016. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Pineda faced Mark Dickman at
Bellator 161 on September 16, 2016. He won the fight via submission in the third round. Pineda faced
Georgi Karakhanyan at
Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. He lost the fight via doctor stoppage in the second round due to a cut.
Professional Fighters League Pineda joined
Professional Fighters League (PFL) in 2019 and fought
Movlid Khaybulaev and
Jeremy Kennedy at PFL. He won both of the bouts on the same night; however it was ruled no contest after Pineda failed a drug test and was subsequently suspended and fined $12,500 by
NAC.
Return to the UFC Pineda re-signed with UFC in June 2020. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. This win earned him the
Performance of the Night award. Pineda faced
Cub Swanson on December 12, 2020, at
UFC 256. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round. Pineda faced
Andre Fili on June 26, 2021, at
UFC Fight Night 190. Early in round two, Pineda was accidentally poked in the eye and was deemed unable to continue. The fight was declared a no contest. A urine sample Pineda produced on fight night tested positive for
amphetamine, a banned substance under the
NAC rules. As a result, Pineda was handed a nine-month suspension in September 2021, retroactive to the positive test. He was also fined a total of $2,554.38, accounting for the violation and subsequent legal fees. Pineda was scheduled to face
Jamall Emmers on May 14, 2022, at
UFC on ESPN 36. However, the bout was scrapped in late April for unknown reasons. Pineda faced Tucker Lutz on March 25, 2023, at
UFC on ESPN 43. He won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the second round. This win earned him the
Performance of the Night award. Pineda faced
Alex Caceres on June 3, 2023, at
UFC on ESPN 46. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. The win earned Pineda his first
Fight of the Night bonus award. Pineda was scheduled to face Khusein Askhabov on October 7, 2023, at
UFC Fight Night 229. However on September 11, Askhabov has been arrested after being connected to the kidnap and torture in Thailand and the bout was cancelled. Pineda faced
Nathaniel Wood on July 27, 2024, at
UFC 304. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Pineda faced
Darren Elkins on October 19, 2024, at
UFC Fight Night 245. He lost the fight by unanimous decision and retired from mixed martial arts competition after the bout. This fight earned him another
Fight of the Night award. ==Personal life==