In a short-notice appearance for Kelvin Gastelum, whose weight cutting problems leave his welterweight future in question, the TUF 17 winner returned to middleweight and dispatched Tim Kennedy with a clinical performance on the feet.
Kennedy took down Gastelum multiple times in the first 90 seconds, staying on him like glue. He took Gastelum’s back, but Kelvin was able to get back to his feet. Kennedy kept kneeing him in the thigh, buttocks, and body, and wouldn’t let go of Gastelum. He didn’t wriggle free until about 1:25 left in the round, and Gastelum tagged Kennedy with a hard left hand a few seconds later.