Daniel Kelly’s UFC career has always been improbable. Little more than an afterthought when he stepped off TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia (itself something of an afterthought season, even by TUF standards) the already 36-year-old Kelly wasn’t expected to have much success fighting in the world’s largest MMA organization. Considering that his only bout on the Ultimate Fighter resulted in a 56-second submission loss to an under-sized Sheldon Westcott, many were even surprised Kelly got the opportunity to fight in the Octagon.
Four years later and, even on the back of a three fight losing streak, it’s clear that Kelly is a much more talented fighter than most everyone was ready to give him credit for.