Jose Delgado made good on his official Octagon debut earlier tonight (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025) at UFC Vegas 102 LIVE on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the MMA Lab standout put a brutal stop to featherweight Connor Matthews with a first-round TKO (elbows and punches).
Delgado was a massive betting favorite entering this fight with a 100% finish rate and a successful outing on Dana White’s Contender Series back in Aug. 2024. The 26-year-old prospect was expected to win in fashion, but you never know when a newcomer is thrown under the bright lights of the Octagon.
Outside of a brief takedown by Matthews that forced Delgado to showcase his scrambling ability, this “Prelims” headliner was all Delgado. The young featherweight looked long and powerful on the feet and ended up cracking Matthews with a clean punch inside. Matthews fell to the ground and Delgado followed up with elbows and punches in bunches before the referee stepped in.
Check out the finish in the above video player.
Delgado, who briefly competed under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner before his Contender Series nod, now holds a 9-1 professional MMA record with all of those victories coming by way of knockout or submission. This was a huge statement win for the up-and-coming featherweight and a tremendous way to start his promising UFC career.
For complete UFC Vegas 102 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.