After being pulled from a UFC 205 fight against Donald Cerrone after missing weight, Kelvin Gastelum gained a measure of redemption at middleweight with an impressive third-round stoppage of Tim Kennedy.
Kennedy got off to a great start, putting Gastelum on the deck twice in the opening two minutes, and even when Gastelum got to his feet, Kennedy kept him locked up while firing off knees to the leg. Gastelum finally got loose with 90 seconds left and landed a couple good shots, raising a mouse under Kennedy’s right eye before a late blitz that had Kennedy on the defensive.
Looking to lock Gastelum up, Kennedy attempted to grapple with his foe, but instead, it was Gastelum who took control as the bout went to the mat. Kennedy was able to reverse position, but Gastelum punched his way free and had success standing, with that success only growing as the round progressed.
As Kennedy continued to slow down, Gastelum pushed the pace in search of the finish in round three, mixing in punches and kicks to the head and body. Midway through the round, a right-left to the head dropped Kennedy, and as he covered up, referee John McCarthy had seen enough, stepping in at the 2:45 mark of round three.
