Klose Plans To Make It Dirty Against Gantt At Noche UFC

Drakkar Klose returns to the octagon at Noche UFC after a year away recovering from a shoulder tear suffered in his August 2025 win over Edson Barboza. The lightweight veteran faces promotional newcomer Tommy Gantt in Phoenix and expects to finish him by the third round.

Klose tore his shoulder in the second round of the Barboza fight but continued through to a decision win. The injury required surgery by the Los Angeles Dodgers' team surgeon, who projected a nine-to-twelve-month recovery. Klose told Just Scrap Radio on BJPenn.com that he started training around six months post-op but did not feel fully healthy until recently.

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Klose Not Familiar With Gantt But Confident In Finish

The 33-year-old Gantt arrives in the UFC with limited high-level footage. Klose admitted he knew nothing about his opponent before the matchup. "The videos we've seen on him, he's fighting guys that are Uber drivers, dudes with losing records, so it's hard to get anything from those," Klose said on the podcast. He noted that Gantt trains with Daniel Cormier and expects him to lean on wrestling when pressured.

Klose plans to stuff takedowns and force exchanges in the clinch, where he believes he holds the advantage. "He doesn't like getting hit. When he gets put in a bad position, all he will do is shoot," Klose said, per BJPenn.com. He added that he spent the entire camp drilling wrestling to prepare for that scenario and intends to make the fight dirty until Gantt breaks.

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If victorious, Klose wants a rematch with Beneil Dariush, who holds one fight left on his contract. Klose said he is comfortable serving as a gatekeeper if the UFC keeps him active, but that the Dariush fight is the one he wants back. Gantt, meanwhile, must prove himself immediately at 33 with no time for a gradual build in the promotion.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Drakkar Klose plans to ‘make it dirty’ against Tommy Gantt at Noche UFC, eyes Beneil Dariush rematch