Jared Cannonier put on an assured striking display tonight at UFC On ESPN 29 in a competitive battle with Kelvin Gastelum, which led him to a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
The main event middleweight clash is underway in Las Vegas.
Jab for Cannonier to start. Now a body kick for him. Inside low kick from Gastelum. Gastelum comes up short with punches and Cannonier then presses forward with punch and a kick.
Calf kick for Cannonier and then avoids one in return. Cannonier lands a counter. Body kick for him.
Inside leg kick for Gastelum and then tries to land a heavy punch behind it. Jab for Gastelum beats Cannonier’s. Body kick for Cannonier and then a leg kick.
Thumping calf kick from Cannonier that almost takes Gastelum off his feet. Nice check hook from Cannonier.
Gastelum doubles up on the low kick. Good left hand sneaks through for Cannonier. Calf kick for him. Right hand lands from a one-two.
Gastelum still trying to find his range here, made more difficult by Cannonier’s good movement so far.
Leg kick for Gastelum. Gastelum swatting thin air again. he does land a kick though and then drives in for a late takedown attempt, but can’t bring him down before the round ends.
Round Two:
Jab from Gastelum. Nice counter punch from Cannonier. Jab for Cannonier and then attempts a head kick.
Body punch from Gastelum. Inside leg kick from him. Jab for Cannonier. Gastelum steps in and lands a jab of his own.
Now chopping outside calf kick from Cannonier. Gastelum misses with punches, but lands a leg kick behind it.
Body punch from Cannonier. Outside leg kick from Gastelum. Gastelum tries to clinch up, but Cannonier shrugs him off.
Gastelum with a big punch and then tries for a takedown, but abandons it. Another solid connection from Gastelum.
Cannonier steps forward with a jab and then lands a big right hand. Calf kick from Cannonier is checked. He goes for another low kick almost immediately though.
Missed head kick attempt from Cannonier. Jab lands for him though. Now a calf kick. Body punch from Gastelum.
Leg kick for Gastelum on the inside. switch kick from Cannonier to the body. Punch for Gastelum. Cannonier back to the kicks.
Round Three:
Body punches from Gastelum. Cannonier fires back with punches. Kick from Cannonier is just blocked. Cannonier with a massive right hook and drops Gastelum momentarily, but he pops straight back up. That would have finished lesser opponents.
Gastelum looking to regain his bearings and shows off his durability by recovering quick and then drives into a takedown attempt. Cannonier able to survive that though and gets back to striking range.
solid right hooks from Cannonier. Right hand from Gastelum lands. Switch kick from Cannonier. Gastelum attempts the takedown and Cannonier shrugs it off.
Body punch from Cannonier and then a kick. Counter hook from Cannonier as Gastelum comes forward. Gastelum lands a punch as Cannonier connects with an elbow too.
Gastelum throwing a couple of looping punches that don’t land. Jab for Cannonier. Leg kick for Gastelum and an off-balance body punch from Cannonier.
Gastelum wading forward and lands a punch.
Round Four:
Body kick lands solidly for Gastelum. A flurry of right hands land for Cannonier and Gastelum presses into the clinch against the cage.
Not too much happening from the position and Cannonier battles out of the clinch. Gastelum lands a body punch.
Jab from Cannonier off the forehead. Punch and then a leg kick behind it from Gastelum. Both men just miss with a power hook each.
Body punch for Gastelum, but Cannonier also landed a hook. Head kick attempt from Cannonier. leg kick from Gastelum.
Left hand from Gastelum. In close Cannonier lands a punch to the shoulder and Gastelum gets knocked off-balance, then gets straight back up.
Cannonier lands the jab nicely. Now he works to the body. Body kick from Cannonier and a leg kick from Gastelum.
Round Five:
Gastelum punches to the body. Punch lands for Cannonier to the head. Inside leg kick from Gastelum. Calf kick from Cannonier and then goes back to that again.
Gastelum with a flurry and a right hand does get through. Two jabs and a hard right from Cannonier. Nice counter right from Cannonier now as his opponent was coming forward. Jab lands for Gastelum.
Cannonier lands a punch. Gastelum drives forward with purpose looking for a takedown and gets it at the second attempt, but Cannonier pops right back up and then turns into Gastelum as he’s pressed up against the cage.
Gastelum ducks under to take the back, but Cannonier turns into him and then soon after escapes to striking range.
Jab for Cannonier, but then Gastelum throws heavy hands back at him. Jabs from Cannonier to set up a right hand. Now a leg kick.
Jab for Cannonier as he circles around his opponent. Punch for Gastelum. Inside leg kick from Gastelum. Gastelum working hard for a double-leg, but Cannonier stuffs it.
Cannonier circling away clutching at his eye, but the action isn’t stopping so he has to shake it off. Gastelum clinches up. He then backs up to let some final strikes go, throwing a big kick, but then eats a heavy knee to the body as the final horn sounds.
Decision:
Good fight then, but Cannonier seemed to be finding the target more often, had Gastelum hurt a few times and also did a good job of fending off his takedown attempts to earn himself a unanimous decision (48-47 x3).
