Fight Night at UFC 224
Kelvin Gastelum, born in San Jose, California, but of Mexican parents, co-headlined UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, facing local fighter Ronaldo Souza in a three-round contest. The judges declared the Mexican winner by split decision, with scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
The Fight
During the first round, 'Jacare' took the Kings MMA fighter to the ground by grabbing his leg and attempting a triangle. Souza transitioned to an armbar position, which they maintained until the end of the round.
The Second Round
In the second round, the action took place on the feet, where they exchanged punches to the face, and one of Gastelum's punches connected, knocking his opponent down. He continued to punish him on the ground, but failed to finish the fight. By the end of this round, the Brazilian appeared to be exhausted.
The Final Round
In the final round, the fight remained on the feet, with both fighters continuing to go forward and exchange strikes to the face. In the last seconds, the Brazilian pressed his opponent against the fence, attempting a takedown by grabbing his leg, but they ended the round with strikes, and the fight went to the judges.
Post-Fight Comments
"I was expecting to win, but I wanted to finish and secure the title shot. Now I'm not sure if I'll get it, but I hope so. I thought I was going to finish it after the takedown, but he's a tough guy, he can take a lot of punishment. The crowd wasn't very kind this time, but they supported me after I won," Gastelum expressed after his victory.
Once again, the fighter registered a win while wearing the Mexican uniform inside the octagon.