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Drakkar Klose outdueled Edson Barboza at UFC 319. | Getty/UFC
Drakkar Klose dedicated his UFC 319 win to his late brother, Tuan Williams.
Klose outstruck Edson Barboza to earn a unanimous decision win at UFC 319 in Chicago. Klose subsequently revealed that Barboza was one of the favorite fighters of his brother.
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The win saw Klose rebound from a first-round knockout loss against Joel Alvarez in December 2024. Klose’s brother was senselessly murdered just four months before the fight. While Klose doesn’t regret taking the fight, he says he wasn’t fully himself during the camp and would like a rematch.
Klose Wants to Avenge Previous Loss
I’ll fight Joel again,” Klose said in a post-fight media scrum. “When I fought Joel Alvarez, my brother had got murdered four months prior. When I was walking out I started crying. I had a great camp but I wasn’t there mentally. I wouldn’t change anything. I’m glad I went through that, those emotions. But this win is for my brother, my big brother. Barbosa was actually one of his favorite fighters. I know my brother is up there looking down on me right now. I did tell [Barbosa] that.
Williams, played a big part in Klose’s MMA career, always scouting out his next fights. Williams was brutally stabbed multiple times last year by 26-year-old Travon Ahmaray-Trenton Blakely, a person with a history of mental illness and violence. Williams, a husband and a father of five, had reportedly tried to help Blakely.
Meanwhile, Klose was riding a four-fight winning streak before his loss against Alvarez last year. The 37-year-old also expressed interest in avenging a knockout loss against Beneil Dariush dating back to 2020.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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