Joseph Kropschot’s UFC debut took place mostly on the ground, and while he had some trouble in the first, he came away with a finish in the second at UFC Vegas 123.
Opponent Nick Klein scored an early takedown, taking control, but Kropschot remained active off his back, threatening with elbows and a buggy choke attempt. Kropschot got back to his feet and started to take over, getting his own takedown and working for a brabo choke and locking up a body triangle.
After a head kick in the second round, Klein looked for another takedown. Kropschot answered with a guillotine attempt, but Klein escaped and got to Kropschot’s back. The debutant, however, quickly reversed position and trapped Klein’s arm as he locked in an inverted triangle choke for the submission win.
Kropschot, a former LFA champion, earned a UFC contract on this year’s season of Dana White’s Contender Series by defeating Jon Kunneman. He is now 10-3 and has not lost since 2021.
