Jose Delgado: Debut KO at UFC Fight Night 251 just a preview of coming attractions

LAS VEGAS – Jose Delgado beat Connor Matthews with a first-round knockout Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 251 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Delgado, who picked up a vicious finish in his UFC debut, but was denied a post-fight bonus – all four of which went to fighters on the main card.

Jose Delgado def. Connor Matthews

Result: Jose Delgado def. Connor Matthews via knockout (elbows) – Round 1, 2:58
Updated records: Delgado (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Matthews (7-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Delgado has all nine of his wins by stoppage.

Delgado on the fight’s key moment

“I don’t put that pressure on myself going into the fight (to get a finish): ‘I’ve got to keep this (finish) record intact,’ got to do this or that. I just know that if I fight like how I fight, if I use my tempo, my rhythm, that’s what happens.”

Delgado on a chip on his shoulder for his debut

“I saw some comments when Dana White posted (a video of us from weigh-ins): ‘Who are these guys?’ So right away, I was like, if you don’t know, now you know. That’s what I screamed after (the knockout). I probably screamed it too many times, but it’s what I screamed after. It’s what I thought. It’s all right. You guys don’t know. But I’ll show you guys – I promise you that.”

Delgado on what he wants next

“Sometime in May, (I want to be back). I want to be active – three or four times a year – but I don’t want to be in a rush to get back in there. I want to make sure that every time you see me, it’s an updated version. I think I’m damn good now, but I respect this craft and I treat this as a craftsman in this. I want to be better. I want to be a master at this. I truly do live and die for this. I want this bad.”

To hear more from Delgado, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 251.