Unbeaten Matthew Griego-Ortega Signs With Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing After Knockout Return

Unbeaten Albuquerque boxer Matthew “Diamond Boy” Griego-Ortega made his return to the ring count twice Saturday night. Griego-Ortega stopped Colombia’s Wilner Soto in the second round at Expo New Mexico, improving to 16-0 with 11 knockouts, then revealed backstage that he has signed a promotional contract with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.

The signing is the more important development for a 30-year-old fighter whose career has repeatedly stalled despite an unbeaten record. Griego-Ortega had not fought since August 2024, when he defeated Gilberto Mendoza while dealing with a fractured right hand. He told the Albuquerque Journal that discussions with Zuffa had been developing since the spring and that his work with fellow Albuquerque fighter and IBF featherweight champion Angelo Leo helped put him on the company’s radar. Griego-Ortega said Zuffa’s 2026 schedule is already full, making a January debut under the promotion the likely next step.

Griego-Ortega has spent most of his professional career at flyweight and super flyweight but returned Saturday at the 118-pound bantamweight limit. That combination—a healthier weight, an undefeated record and now the backing of a major national promotion—gives his career a dramatically different outlook. After years of fighting primarily in New Mexico, “Diamond Boy” finally has the platform that could show whether his local success can translate to the national stage.