Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman grabbed a much-needed win over Kelvin Gastelum in last night’s main event, as a third round submission was enough to halt his three-fight losing streak in front of his hometown fans at UFC Long Island.
UFC Long Island, or UFC on Fox 25, took place on Saturday, July 22 at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York and marked the UFC once again returning to the state after New York lifted their ban on the sport of MMA last year.
The two fighters both started tentatively in the opening minutes of this contest, going through the ‘feeling out’ process, with Weidman looking far taller than his opponent. He landed a few shots before successfully attempting a single leg takedown around the three-minute mark. From there, Weidman took the back of Gastelum before he looked for a kimura from side control, however, Gastelum would make it back to his feet. In the closing seconds of the round, Gastelum dropped the “All-American” with a hard left off of a sleek combination and tried to finish the New Yorker off with ground and pound however Weidman would hold on.
The momentum swung back to the Long Island native in the second round as Weidman would engage in the clinch early and controlled Gastelum for the duration of the round. Tripping Gastelum as he attempted to get back to his feet, Weidman would end up in his opponent’s guard however would stay heavy, landing shots and elbows from the top to see out a dominant second stanza.
Gastelum would come out far more aggressively in the third round however Weidman once again let his superior wrestling and grappling make the difference. Securing a double leg takedown against the fence, Weidman would once again look for the kimura however intelligently stepped over into the arm triangle instead. Gastelum was instantly in trouble with how tight the hold was locked in and before long the tap came giving Weidman his first win in over two years.
The 33-year-old former champ was extremely fired up following the win and issued a call out to current champion Michael Bisping, whom he has verbally sparred with on social media in the past. Last night’s win was the first for Weidman (14-3) since losing his title, and his last victory had come in May 2015, when he defended the 185lb strap against UFC icon Vitor Belfort.
Meanwhile, Gastelum (14-3) tasted his first defeat in the middleweight division after victories over Tim Kennedy and Belfort had got his run at 185lbs off to a good start even though his win over Belfort was changed to a no contest.
Elkins takes split decision win in three round battle with Bermudez
Perennial grinder Darren Elkins did what he does best as he battled his way to a split decision victory over a game Dennis Bermudez in an entertaining featherweight clash.
Bermudez attempted a flying knee straight out the gate and although it didn’t land flush, it put Elkins on alert for what to expect. He fired back with some stiff leg kicks before Bermudez landed a superman punch and wobbled Elkins with a leg kick of his own. The 33-year-old would take advantage of a slip from Bermudez and grabbed hold of his back, refusing to let go and would results in Elkins getting a slam before the end of the round.
In the second frame, Bermudez would land a takedown however “The Damage” would reverse position and score another takedown of his own. Other than the takedowns, there was little to separate the two fighters in what was a tough round to score.
The third round, however, would belong to “The Menace” as Bermudez pushed the pace in the final third and would start finding a home for his heavy right hand. Elkins would fire back with combinations and leg kicks of his own however Bermudez would have Elkins on the run towards the end of the fight as he landed shots against the fence. With round three belonging to Bermudez, it was all down to the first two rounds which two of the judges gave to Elkins awarding him the victory.
Indiana’s Elkins has quietly worked himself into featherweight title contention after five straight wins including one of the best comebacks of all-time against Mirsad Bektic at UFC 209 earlier this year.
30-year-old Bermudez, meanwhile, suffered his second consecutive loss after a previous defeat to “The Korean Zombie” at UFC Fight Night 104 in February. A 9-4 record in the promotion should ensure his safety on avoiding the next round of cuts and getting another chance inside the Octagon.
Rounding off the main card, both Jimmie Rivera and Patrick Cummins secured decision victories in their respective divisions. Bantamweight challenger Rivera would get his incredible 20th win in a row after an utterly dominant performance over top Brazilian prospect Thomas Almeida ended in a clear unanimous decision victory for “The Terror” whereas Cummins would be in a much closer fight with hometown hero Gian Vilante but would do enough to get the split decision nod.
UFC Long Island Results
Middleweight Main Event: Chris Weidman def. Kelvin Gastelum via Submission (Arm Triangle) (Round 3 – 3:45)
Featherweight Bout: Darren Elkins def. Dennis Bermudez via Decision (Split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Light-Heavyweight Bout: Patrick Cummins def. Gian Vilante via Decision (Split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Bantamweight Bout: Jimmie Rivera def. Thimas Almeida via Decision (Unanimous) (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
Welterweight Bout: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Lyman Good via Decision (Split) (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Middleweight Bout: Eryk Anders def. Rafael Natal via KO (Punches) (Round 1 – 2:54)
Welterweight Bout: Alex Oliveira def. Ryan LaFlare via KO (Punch) (Round 2 – 1:50)
Heavyweight Bout: Chase Sherman def. Damian Grabowski via Decision (Unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Featherweight Bout: Jeremy Kennedy def. Kyle Bochniak via Decision (Unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Bantamweight Bout: Marlon Vera def. Brian Kelleher via Submission (Armbar) (Round 1 – 2:18)
Heavyweight Bout: Junior Albini def. Timothy Johnson via KO (Punches) (Round 1 – 2:51)
Featherweight Bout: Shane Burgos def. Godofredo Pepey via Decision (Unanimous) (30-26, 30-26, 29-28)
Lightweight Bout: Chris Wade def. Frankie Perez via Decision (Unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
