Joel Alvarez kept his 100 percent finish rate in tact against Drakkar Klose with a bizarre sequence to end their fight at UFC Tampa.
After rocking Klose (15-3-1 MMA, 9-3 UFC) with a punch in the opening round of the lightweight bout at Amalie Arena, Alvarez (22-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) charged in with a flying knee that landed clean. With his opponent essentially unconscious, Alvarez grabbed the neck and went for a guillotine as Klose started to fall back.
Luckily, the referee quickly realized Klose was out cold from the knee, and he pulled Alvarez off for the knockout at the 2:48 mark of Round 1.
JOEL ALVAREZ KNOCKS OUT DRAKKAR KLOSE!#MMA #UFC #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/YY7q0Be327
— MMA Frenzy (@mma_frenzy) December 15, 2024
With the win, Alvarez keeps his incredible run of stopping every opponent inside the distance. He told MMA Junkie prior to UFC on ESPN 63 that he was mulling a move up to welterweight, and said he intends to move forward with that – with one exception.
“We talked about maybe going up to 170,” Alvarez said through an interpreter in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Unless we’re going to have UFC Spain. Then I’ll stay at lightweight.”