Kelvin Gastelum dominated Nate Marquardt tonight at UFC 188, resulting in Marquardt quitting on his stool at the end of a punishing second round.
Round One:
Gastelum misses on a leg kick attempt. And another. He’s taking the center of the cage though and looking to press the action. Marquart with a short flurry of punches, but nothing really there.
Gastelum responds in kind and then lands a good body kick. marquardt with a one-two. Leg kick and punches from Gastelum. Left hand for Gastelum and he’s putting some power into his punches as he warms up to this encounter.
Marqurdt connects with a punch that snaps Gastelum’s head back. Good combination of punches from Gastelum. A little flurry from marquardt. Jab lands for Gastelum. Marquardt’s face already reddened.
Jab then a straight left from Gastelum. They clinch and Gastelum lands an elbow on the way out. Marquardt connects with a punch. Marquardt into the clinch. Bit of a stalemate and Gastelum lands again as they separate.
Nice jab from Gastelum. Marquardt lands a takedown, but Gastelum is right back up, throws a few punches and then ducks into a takedown attempt which he completes.
Marquardt gives up his back and Gastelum gladly takes it. They roll and Gasstelum is almost into side control, but Marquardt rolls again and gets back up.
Gastelum back to working his jab. Very nice uppercut now and that definitely hurt Marquardt. He unloads a few more punches with Marquardt covering up against the cage. Marquardt swings wildly with a hook in return to show he’s still in this, but it misses and the horn sounds shortly afterwards which will have been a welcome sound for him as he was in trouble there.
Round Two:
Gastelum with a leg kick. Now he steps into a more powerful one. He pumps out the jab and then lands a left hand. Marquardt punches to the body. They exchange a body punch apiece now.
Another leg kick for Gastelum. He’s working the jab and Marquardt tries for an uppercut. He looks a little labored out there though as Gastelum continues to dictate the pace.
Punch and a head kick attempt from Gastelum. Marquardt might be hurt by the way he’s moving. Gastelum with a nice series of punches and a knee which results in Marquardt suddenly just sinking to the mat under this sustained pressure. Gastelum looking to finish with ground and pound, and that should just about do it…but the ref isn’t ready to stop it just yet and Marquardt manages to just about hang in there and get unsteadily to his feet.
He swings wildly more in hope than expectation, but then it’s Gastelum who’s back on the offensive. Marquardt back down again and doesn’t seem to have a lot left in the tank here. Gastelum thinking about a choke there, but Marquardt away from that immediate danger and it’s back to ground and pound for Gastelum.
Gastelum controlling the action on the mat and looks ready to take Marquardt’s back again, but he rolls to avoid that. Marquardt trying for a leg lock, but Gastelum able to pull away from it. Marquardt tries for it again soon after, but he’s almost running on empty here and Gastelum easily escapes.
The round ends and Marquardt goes wearily to his corner. He tells his corner he’s got nothing left and that’s it, the fight’s been called off while he’s still on his stool and Gastelum gets the TKO victory!
Very good performance from Gastelum, but for Marquardt the signs are becoming ever clearer that he needs to seriously consider the possibility of hanging up his gloves as he looks a shadow of his former self in the Octagon.
