Joel Alvarez kept his 100 percent finish rate in tact against Drakkar Klose with a bizarre sequence to end their fight at UFC on ESPN 63.
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.
Check out a replay of the sequence below (via X):
HEAVY HITS FROM JOEL ALVAREZ 😤 #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/KiNpAg6n4i
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) 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.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 63 results include:
- Joel Alvarez def. Drakkar Klose via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:48
- Sean Woodson def. Fernando Padilla via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:58
- Felipe Lima def. Miles Johns via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Miranda Maverick def. Jamey-Lyn Horth via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Davey Grant def. Ramon Taveras via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Piera Rodriguez def. Josefine Knutsson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.
