It may take some time for reality to set in on Kevin Aguilar.
Opportunistic takedowns, effective counterpunching and a deep gas tank carried Aguilar to a split decision over Tony Kelley, as he claimed the vacant Legacy Fighting Championship featherweight title in the Legacy 57 headliner on Friday at the DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. Judges scored it 49-46 and 48-47 for Aguilar, 48-47 for Kelley.
A back-and-forth battle for much of its 25-minute duration, the fight took a turn in Aguilar’s favor in the fourth round. There, he had the previously unbeaten Kelley (3-1) reeling with right hands, a combination of fatigue and damage sending him stumbling around the cage.