Victor Valenzuela
1-0
Record
Career Averages
1.28
Sig. Strikes / Min
100.0%
Sig. Strike Acc.
2.55
Absorbed / Min
0.0%
Strike Defense
0.0
TD Avg / 15 min
0.0%
TD Accuracy
0.0%
TD Defense
0.0
Sub. / Fight
Win Methods (1)
KO/TKO 0
Submission 0
Decision 1
Fight History
Result / Opponent
Event & Date
Method/Round
Links
Comments
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Griffin | 0 | 40 of 89 | 44% | 43 of 94 | 4 of 9 | 44% | 0 | 0 | 1:03 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 0 | 53 of 117 | 45% | 53 of 117 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0:36 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Griffin | 0 | 10 of 24 | 41% | 11 of 25 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:21 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 0 | 12 of 29 | 41% | 12 of 29 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Max Griffin | 0 | 10 of 27 | 37% | 10 of 27 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0:19 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 0 | 12 of 28 | 42% | 12 of 28 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:32 | |
| 3 | Max Griffin | 0 | 20 of 38 | 52% | 22 of 42 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 0:23 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 0 | 29 of 60 | 48% | 29 of 60 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:04 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Griffin | 40 of 89 | 44% | 36 of 83 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 4 | 37 of 84 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 1 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 53 of 117 | 45% | 33 of 91 | 15 of 19 | 5 of 7 | 50 of 111 | 3 of 6 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Griffin | 10 of 24 | 41% | 10 of 24 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 10 of 23 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 12 of 29 | 41% | 5 of 19 | 5 of 6 | 2 of 4 | 12 of 29 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Max Griffin | 10 of 27 | 37% | 7 of 22 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | 8 of 24 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 12 of 28 | 42% | 6 of 20 | 4 of 6 | 2 of 2 | 12 of 27 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Max Griffin | 20 of 38 | 52% | 19 of 37 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 19 of 37 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Victor Valenzuela | 29 of 60 | 48% | 22 of 52 | 6 of 7 | 1 of 1 | 26 of 55 | 3 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogMax Griffin vs. Victor Valenzuela
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Valenzuela (-140); Griffin (+115)
Round 1
Back against the wall having lost three of four, 40-year-old Griffin (20-12, 8-10 UFC) would like to demonstrate he has more left to offer and plans on inflicting “Pain” on his debuting opponent. Hardly a spring chicken at the age of 32, this Chilean welterweight Valenzuela (13-4, 0-0 UFC) was signed to the promotion despite suffering a knockout loss on last year’s Contender Series. Only one man will move on with a win tonight, barring something unusual, and referee Chris Tognoni will be standing by. The fighters do not touch gloves before handling their business.
Griffin walks the newcomer down right out of the gate, no-selling a high kick as he tries to get in range. Valenzuela is keeping to a wide kickboxing distance, breaking it only to try to crash in with punches. Griffin dodges them and watches a few more fly past him, with a lot of swinging and missing early on. Valenzuela rushes forward to throw hands, but all he connects with is a body kick. Griffin marches him down and busts him in the face with a right hand, only to get staggered back with a counter right when hanging around a little too long in the pocket. Both men offer out jabs, and Griffin just misses a short left hook when Valenzuela ducks forward.
It is a stalemate for a time, until Valenzuela dives after a double-leg takedown entry. Griffin whiffs on an uppercut but tosses the newcomer to the side. Valenzuela cannot find his target with a spin kick, taking a jab off the forehead and evading the subsequent effort. Griffin sneaks in a right hand around Valenzuela’s jab, and he skirts away when Valenzuela advances. Valenzuela kicks the inside thigh, and Griffin jabs him back. Valenzuela puts two punches on the jaw and lands a body kick, and his right hook backs Griffin off. Griffin takes a few heavy blows and shoots for a counter takedown, scoring it for a moment. Valenzuela wall-walks to get back upright, with Griffin kneeing him once in the clinch before they split. The slow round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Round 2
Valenzuela wades out of his corner looking for kicks, reaching the midsection a few times with them. Griffin dances away from the worst of what comes his way, but it means that Valenzuela is landing and he is not. Griffin tries to sweep the leg with a kick all the way down at the ankle, and Valenzuela stops and frowns at him. “Pain” looks for a right hand when Valenzuela comes after him, missing and nearly falling over. Griffin opens up with a huge right hand, knocking Valenzuela to the floor where he can loop around on the mat to hunt for a choke. Valenzuela simply sits up to break out of it.
Little happens after that exciting moment for at least a minute, with tit-for-tat engagement until Valenzuela open up with a wheel kick. Griffin licks his chops and takes Valenzuela down easily, landing a few strikes when landing on top. Valenzuela explodes to get out of the precarious position, turning the tables on the UFC veteran by shooting in for a double. Griffin turns to his side, and the fighters are warned for fence grabs. Valenzuela pulls back rather than trying to keep after the takedown, and he jacks Griffin in the jaw with a few punches. Griffin fires back, but Valenzuela is beating him largely to the punch. Griffin connects with a heavy right at the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Round 3
Valenzuela strikes first with a left hook, and he staggers Griffin with a right hand to follow. Backing Griffin to the fence, he opens up with a few more punches until Griffin decides he will channel his inner football player by straight-up tackling Valenzuela to the floor. Valenzuela is quick to turn to his knees to stand, and Griffin grabs hold of the back of his head and knees him in the dome. When upright again, Valenzuela dings Griffin with an overhand right. Griffin swings back with a vengeance, opening a cut on the bridge of the newcomer’s nose. He catches Valenzuela standing still with a left hook, and slides away when two huge hooks are aimed his way. Griffin engages, gets caught with a right hand and tries to grapple. Valenzuela tosses him aside, but when he lands his right hand flush, he seems to hurt Griffin every time. Griffin pushes out a vertical elbow as he tries to get Valenzuela off of him, lobbing a body kick as well when circling out. Valenzuela stays after him, whether with jabs or power punches, and he rips open a cut on the inner left eyebrow of a very angry-looking Griffin.
Griffin loads up and smashes his fist into Valenzuela’s mouth, causing blood to flow as the two men clearly want to record a big knockout. Griffin tries to tackle again, but he settles for shoving Valenzuela back. Valenzuela races after him, keeping “Pain” on the back foot and causing him pain with his heavy swings. Griffin is flagging but still very much in the fight, his fists careening off the raised guard of his adversary. Valenzuela bullies him and rips a right hand upstairs and a left kick to the body, forcing another grimace from the visage of his opponent. Griffin ducks under a left hand to shoot in for a double, and Valenzuela puts his hand on Griffin’s throat and turns him around in a sheer power move, blood trickling down the newcomer’s face. Valenzuela has taken big shots and is leaking from multiple wounds around his face, his complexion quickly transforming to that of his red shorts, and he wants to stand and bang. He motions to Griffin that it is time to duke it out, and Griffin leaps at him with a right hand. Valenzuela has to play the matador rather than the slugger in the final exchanges, with the horn punctuating a close, bloody battle.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
The Official Result
Victor Valenzuela def. Max Griffin via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Valenzuela (-140); Griffin (+115)
Round 1
Back against the wall having lost three of four, 40-year-old Griffin (20-12, 8-10 UFC) would like to demonstrate he has more left to offer and plans on inflicting “Pain” on his debuting opponent. Hardly a spring chicken at the age of 32, this Chilean welterweight Valenzuela (13-4, 0-0 UFC) was signed to the promotion despite suffering a knockout loss on last year’s Contender Series. Only one man will move on with a win tonight, barring something unusual, and referee Chris Tognoni will be standing by. The fighters do not touch gloves before handling their business.
Griffin walks the newcomer down right out of the gate, no-selling a high kick as he tries to get in range. Valenzuela is keeping to a wide kickboxing distance, breaking it only to try to crash in with punches. Griffin dodges them and watches a few more fly past him, with a lot of swinging and missing early on. Valenzuela rushes forward to throw hands, but all he connects with is a body kick. Griffin marches him down and busts him in the face with a right hand, only to get staggered back with a counter right when hanging around a little too long in the pocket. Both men offer out jabs, and Griffin just misses a short left hook when Valenzuela ducks forward.
It is a stalemate for a time, until Valenzuela dives after a double-leg takedown entry. Griffin whiffs on an uppercut but tosses the newcomer to the side. Valenzuela cannot find his target with a spin kick, taking a jab off the forehead and evading the subsequent effort. Griffin sneaks in a right hand around Valenzuela’s jab, and he skirts away when Valenzuela advances. Valenzuela kicks the inside thigh, and Griffin jabs him back. Valenzuela puts two punches on the jaw and lands a body kick, and his right hook backs Griffin off. Griffin takes a few heavy blows and shoots for a counter takedown, scoring it for a moment. Valenzuela wall-walks to get back upright, with Griffin kneeing him once in the clinch before they split. The slow round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela
Round 2
Valenzuela wades out of his corner looking for kicks, reaching the midsection a few times with them. Griffin dances away from the worst of what comes his way, but it means that Valenzuela is landing and he is not. Griffin tries to sweep the leg with a kick all the way down at the ankle, and Valenzuela stops and frowns at him. “Pain” looks for a right hand when Valenzuela comes after him, missing and nearly falling over. Griffin opens up with a huge right hand, knocking Valenzuela to the floor where he can loop around on the mat to hunt for a choke. Valenzuela simply sits up to break out of it.
Little happens after that exciting moment for at least a minute, with tit-for-tat engagement until Valenzuela open up with a wheel kick. Griffin licks his chops and takes Valenzuela down easily, landing a few strikes when landing on top. Valenzuela explodes to get out of the precarious position, turning the tables on the UFC veteran by shooting in for a double. Griffin turns to his side, and the fighters are warned for fence grabs. Valenzuela pulls back rather than trying to keep after the takedown, and he jacks Griffin in the jaw with a few punches. Griffin fires back, but Valenzuela is beating him largely to the punch. Griffin connects with a heavy right at the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Round 3
Valenzuela strikes first with a left hook, and he staggers Griffin with a right hand to follow. Backing Griffin to the fence, he opens up with a few more punches until Griffin decides he will channel his inner football player by straight-up tackling Valenzuela to the floor. Valenzuela is quick to turn to his knees to stand, and Griffin grabs hold of the back of his head and knees him in the dome. When upright again, Valenzuela dings Griffin with an overhand right. Griffin swings back with a vengeance, opening a cut on the bridge of the newcomer’s nose. He catches Valenzuela standing still with a left hook, and slides away when two huge hooks are aimed his way. Griffin engages, gets caught with a right hand and tries to grapple. Valenzuela tosses him aside, but when he lands his right hand flush, he seems to hurt Griffin every time. Griffin pushes out a vertical elbow as he tries to get Valenzuela off of him, lobbing a body kick as well when circling out. Valenzuela stays after him, whether with jabs or power punches, and he rips open a cut on the inner left eyebrow of a very angry-looking Griffin.
Griffin loads up and smashes his fist into Valenzuela’s mouth, causing blood to flow as the two men clearly want to record a big knockout. Griffin tries to tackle again, but he settles for shoving Valenzuela back. Valenzuela races after him, keeping “Pain” on the back foot and causing him pain with his heavy swings. Griffin is flagging but still very much in the fight, his fists careening off the raised guard of his adversary. Valenzuela bullies him and rips a right hand upstairs and a left kick to the body, forcing another grimace from the visage of his opponent. Griffin ducks under a left hand to shoot in for a double, and Valenzuela puts his hand on Griffin’s throat and turns him around in a sheer power move, blood trickling down the newcomer’s face. Valenzuela has taken big shots and is leaking from multiple wounds around his face, his complexion quickly transforming to that of his red shorts, and he wants to stand and bang. He motions to Griffin that it is time to duke it out, and Griffin leaps at him with a right hand. Valenzuela has to play the matador rather than the slugger in the final exchanges, with the horn punctuating a close, bloody battle.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Valenzuela (29-28 Valenzuela)
The Official Result
Victor Valenzuela def. Max Griffin via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Expert Picks (5)
AN
Angelo Bodetti
Expert
Lean
picked Apr 19, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Max Griffin
Angelo leans on Max Griffin despite his age, citing Griffin's experience and toughness. He notes that Victor Valenzuela has not fought anyone good and was dropped three times in his last Apex fight. Angelo believes Griffin will fire back and potentially work in a takedown, though he admits uncertainty about Valenzuela's takedown defense. He rates his confidence at 51% for Griffin, calling it a 'nice little dog' but says he probably won't bet on it.
Angelo says he's probably not going to spend any money on this pick.
"I am going to lean on a 40-year-old Max Griffin to get the win. I think the experience will matter."
CO
Connor Ruebusch
Expert
Lean
picked Apr 24, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Max Griffin
Connor picks Griffin because he believes Griffin hasn't fallen off and can out-slick Valenzuela. He notes that Griffin has a history of beating non-elite fighters and that Valenzuela is a one-note brawler. Connor also points out that Griffin can use movement, clinch, and takedowns to frustrate Valenzuela, similar to his game plan against Mike Perry.
Valenzuela opened at -110, now -145; Griffin opened at -110, now +125. Connor sees value in Griffin as an underdog.
"i'm gonna take max griffin i i'm sadness hedging i want max to win this i don't really care to be honest i'm just i think max griffin uh as you said like he hasn't really he doesn't really look worse to me than he did you know back when he did fight my the actual mike perry in 2018 yeah it's just that like yeah he goes in there and elite fighters beat him he still gives a lot of them tough fights and if they're not an elite fighter he tends to beat them pretty handily actually"
LU
Lucrative James
Expert
picked Apr 19, 2026 (6 days before fight)
No clear pick
James states he has not done tape on Valenzuela due to the fight being scheduled recently, so he cannot give a prediction.
"I haven't done tape on Valenuela. I have to be honest with you. So I can't give you a prediction on that one."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night
Expert
Lean
picked Apr 21, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Victor Valenzuela
Valenzuela is a powerful pocket striker with good finishing ability, catching Griffin at the right time as Griffin is on a two-fight losing streak and showing his age. Griffin may start fast but will slow down, allowing Valenzuela to walk him down and land big shots. Expect a knockout finish in round two or three.
Valenzuela by KO round 2 or 3
"I expect Valenuela to start landing big shots. And I think that could lead to him really roughing Griffin up and eventually finding that finish."
ZA
Zane Simon
Expert
Lean
picked Apr 24, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Victor Valenzuela
Zane picks Valenzuela because he thinks Griffin is getting old and his fights against similar 'blockhead' opponents have been razor-thin. He notes that Valenzuela is an aggressive finisher in his prime, while Griffin's game is built on weird martial arts and he tends to wander away from good ideas. Zane also points out that Valenzuela's only recent loss was to a top prospect, Michael Oliveira.
Valenzuela opened at -110, now -145; Griffin opened at -110, now +125.
"i'm gonna take valenzuela man i'm gonna take max griffin i i'm sadness hedging i want max to win this i don't really care to be honest i'm just i think max griffin uh as you said like he hasn't really he doesn't really look worse to me than he did you know back when he did fight my the actual mike perry in 2018 yeah it's just that like yeah he goes in there and elite fighters beat him he still gives a lot of them tough fights and if they're not an elite fighter he tends to beat them pretty handily actually yeah unless you're alex morono or yeah oh yeah there's that one too kurtis millender or yeah i guess alex aloe vera yeah well aloe vera for a minute was it was a for a minute aloe vera was he was a problem yeah he was um you know i'm looking at like you know losing a split to chris kurtis like yeah no i don't even have to remember that fight to know exactly how that went yeah and like getting choked out by michael kiesa getting decisions by michael morales like of course these things"
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!