Jose Delano
Ze
Brazil
Strong showing in debut win
Delano defeated Robert Ruchala via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Making his UFC debut following a lopsided unanimous decision win on Dana White's Contender Series last August, Delano looked good, although Ruchala certainly didn't make things easy for him. It took the newcomer the better part of a round-plus to find his range. Once he did, it was fairly smooth sailing. Over the course of the final 10 minutes, Delano posted 66 significant strikes compared to just 42 from Ruchala. Toss in the fact Ruchala was docked a point by referee Keith Petersen for a blatant fence grab in the final frame, and Delano had a clear unanimous decision win on his hands. Keep an eye on the Brazilian moving forward.
Making his UFC debut following a lopsided unanimous decision win on Dana White's Contender Series last August, Delano looked good, although Ruchala certainly didn't make things easy for him. It took the newcomer the better part of a round-plus to find his range. Once he did, it was fairly smooth sailing. Over the course of the final 10 minutes, Delano posted 66 significant strikes compared to just 42 from Ruchala. Toss in the fact Ruchala was docked a point by referee Keith Petersen for a blatant fence grab in the final frame, and Delano had a clear unanimous decision win on his hands. Keep an eye on the Brazilian moving forward.
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UFC debut scheduled
Delano is scheduled against Robert Ruchala in a featherweight fight for UFC Vegas 115 on April 4, according to Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
UFC Vegas 115 will mark Delano's promotion debut. The 28-year-old Brazilian most recently fought for LFA, and his 16-3 record includes a diverse range of results. Delano's opponent is 0-1 in the UFC, with his UFC debut a decisive loss to William Gomis.
UFC Vegas 115 will mark Delano's promotion debut. The 28-year-old Brazilian most recently fought for LFA, and his 16-3 record includes a diverse range of results. Delano's opponent is 0-1 in the UFC, with his UFC debut a decisive loss to William Gomis.
Earns contract with dominant main event
Delano defeated Manuel Exposito via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. After the show, he was one of five fighters to be awarded an official UFC contract.
ANALYSIS
Delano has arguably been UFC-ready for quite some time, as he had competed in headline fights under the banner of LFA and entered this bout on a three-fight winning streak there, with his last two coming via stoppage. His experience was likely a big factor in the 28-year-old entering as a betting favorite in the ballpark of (-800), and while he didn't get the finish, he looked the part in a dominant effort. He won the significant striking battle by 30 or more in each round, and when it was all said and done, the lopsided final count was 146-to-38 in his favor. Delano also did great mixing in body work, recording double-digit significant strikes to the body in each round. Given his experience and the fact Delano is likely past "prospect" status at his current age, there's little need for the UFC to bring the featherweight along slowly.
Delano has arguably been UFC-ready for quite some time, as he had competed in headline fights under the banner of LFA and entered this bout on a three-fight winning streak there, with his last two coming via stoppage. His experience was likely a big factor in the 28-year-old entering as a betting favorite in the ballpark of (-800), and while he didn't get the finish, he looked the part in a dominant effort. He won the significant striking battle by 30 or more in each round, and when it was all said and done, the lopsided final count was 146-to-38 in his favor. Delano also did great mixing in body work, recording double-digit significant strikes to the body in each round. Given his experience and the fact Delano is likely past "prospect" status at his current age, there's little need for the UFC to bring the featherweight along slowly.