Alex Caceres: UFC Fight Night 216 knockout win 'as good as it can get'

LAS VEGAS – In the past 11 years, Alex Caceres has plenty of UFC wins to choose from – 15 to be exact – as the best of his career, and his triumph at UFC Fight Night 216 ranks right up there.

In their featherweight bout Saturday, Caceres high-kicked his way to victory when he finished Julian Erosa (28-10 MMA, 6-6 UFC) at the 3:04 mark of the first round. After some technical striking leading up to the finish, Caceres (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) ended the bout when he hid a kick behind his punch on the left side. When the punch missed, the kick was there and landed flush. Erosa didn’t see it and was immediately floored for the knockout.

“I felt it was as good as it can get honestly,” Caceres told MMA Junkie and other reporters backstage at the UFC Apex. “I came out the fight unscathed, I defended nearly every strike, and I got the first-round knockout, so I couldn’t do it better myself, you know? I did do it.”

Caceres said he didn’t specifically work on the fight-ending move. It was just there.

Caceres, 34, is on the best run of his career, having won six of his past seven fights. Looking ahead, all he cares about is fighting again sooner than later.

“As soon as I can. I don’t like sitting out,” Caceres said. “… I need to be in there. I want to be more active. To me, it’s not about getting anywhere. I just love doing it. If you keep me away from doing things I love, I’m gonna get frustrated. So just put me back in as quick as you can.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 216.