Jose Delgado Record: 12-2-0

UFC run

Delgado wasted no time validating the hype. In February 2025 he stopped Connor Matthews with first-round punches in his debut, then delivered the signature win of his career to date in June 2025, taking out unbeaten prospect Hyder Amil by first-round TKO with a knee and elbows on the UFC 317 card. His charge was finally slowed in October 2025, when veteran Nathaniel Wood handed him a unanimous-decision loss at UFC 321 – the first time Delgado had been taken into deep waters and out-pointed.

Bouncing back

Delgado returned to the win column in March 2026, edging the seasoned Andre Fili by split decision – a result that, while not the highlight-reel finish his fans have come to expect, proved he can grind out a close, technical fight against an experienced gatekeeper and move to 11-2.

Fighting style

Delgado is one of the purest finishers in the division, with a staggering 91 percent finish rate: six of his 11 wins by knockout, four by submission and only one by decision. He blends a jiu-jitsu base – rear-naked chokes and a D'Arce among his finishes – with explosive, fight-ending striking, equally comfortable ending things with knees, elbows and punches in close or hunting the back. Both of his career losses have come by decision rather than stoppage, a sign of his durability, though the Wood and Fili fights showed that elite, cardio-heavy veterans can drag him out of his preferred finishing windows and into the championship rounds, where the margins tighten.

Career highlights

• Contender Series knockout — stopped unbeaten Ernie Juarez in 2024 to earn his UFC contract.
• Statement UFC win — finished previously unbeaten Hyder Amil by first-round TKO at UFC 317, his biggest scalp to date.
• Elite finish rate — 10 of his 11 wins have come inside the distance, a 91 percent finish rate split between knockouts and submissions.