Contender Series winner Jose Delano made his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 115 in a main card bout with former KSW featherweight champ Robert Ruchala.
Ruchala had dropped his own debut to William Gomis last year.
The fight opened with both men measuring distance, each looking to establish range. Delano was the first to land clean, snapping Ruchala’s head back with a crisp one-two. Ruchala tried to close the distance and tie up, but Delano shrugged him off with ease. Early on, Delano’s movement stood out—sharp defensively, slipping and ducking punches while angling off effectively.
Ruchala was clearly intent on getting the fight to the mat, but he paid for those attempts in the clinch, eating knees for his efforts. He mixed in solid volume on the feet, repeatedly going to the head kick, but Delano’s composure and fluidity gave him a slight edge in the round.
In the second, Ruchala returned to his kicking game, staying active. Delano answered with a stiff right hand that forced Ruchala backward, immediately making his presence felt. Ruchala found moments of success with spinning attacks, including a clean body kick, but Delano began to settle in. A sharp right-left combination into a leg kick highlighted his rhythm, and his left hand, in particular, started landing with consistency. The Brazilian looked more cohesive with his combinations, pulling ahead through cleaner, more effective striking.
Heading into the final round, the fight felt up for grabs. Both fighters engaged quickly, exchanging with urgency. Delano landed a nice body-head combination, while Ruchala continued to target the head with kicks—even when blocked—staying committed to the attack. He also found the body with a pair of hooks and another spinning strike to the midsection.
Delano responded in kind, digging to the body with a straight left and following up with kicks. As the round progressed, Ruchala looked to slow the pace in the clinch, but a costly mistake—grabbing the fence—resulted in a point deduction that loomed large. In the final minute, Delano invested heavily to the body and capped things off with a clean one-two.
It was a highly competitive, back-and-forth fight that delivered action throughout.
Official Result: Jose Delano def. Robert Ruchala by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)
