In the headlining fight on the UFC 126 preliminary card, former WEC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone battled British wrestler Paul Kelly in one of the free televised bouts on Spike TV. Cerrone entered the UFC as one of the transfers from the WEC’s lightweight division during the merger late last year. This event was his first appearance under the lights of the UFC, and it was a successful one.
After an opening round of back and forth action that saw Cerrone barely edge out Kelly with a late round takedown and slashing elbow that cut open “Tellys”, Cerrone was able to gain a takedown early in the second round. Once on the ground, he was able to gain full mount, causing Kelly to roll over and give up his back. It didn’t take long for Cerrone to sink in a deep rear naked choke and tap out Kelly.
The win gives Cerrone three straight wins, and it may bring to fruition a fight with Cole Miller down the road as both men have stated that they don’t like each other. For Kelly, he’ll await another chance to prove he’s worth keeping around in the UFC.