In the main event of UFC Fortaleza in Brazil, middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum put on another scintillating performance, twice dropping Vitor Belfort with massive left hands on his way to a first-round TKO victory.
To kick things off, Belfort tried a spinning kick but it didn’t reach Kelvin’s head. Gastelum slipped a Vitor power shot and landed a left hand on the inside. Belfort threw a flying knee which partially landed. Gastelum popped Vitor with a stiff southpaw jab. Belfort just missed on a spinning wheel kick. A right hook and a big left hand by Gastelum decked Belfort, but Vitor survived the onslaught of ground strikes and eventually got back to his feet. Vitor went forward and threw a nice flurry, but Gastelum took those shots well. Gastelum annihilated Belfort with another left on the end of a 1-2 combination, and this time John McCarthy waved it off after the ensuing ground strikes. It’s another emphatic win for Kelvin Gastelum, and a third straight loss for Belfort, all by TKO.
Official result: Kelvin Gastelum def. Vitor Belfort by TKO (strikes) at 3:52 of round 1
In the post-fight interview, Gastelum called for a fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 212 in Rio. Belfort says he has one fight left on his contract, and that he would also like to fight in Rio.
Be sure to check out Bloody Elbow’s post-fight coverage of UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum over the weekend, including event analysis, fight highlights, bonus winners, and more.
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