Who won the UFC fight last night (21st August 2021)?
After a couple of weeks away, the biggest MMA promotion in the world returned to its APEX facility in Vegas this weekend with yet another stacked card. UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Gastelum was headlined by a crucial middleweight encounter between Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum.
In the co-main event, MMA veteran Clay Guida took on Mark Madsen in a lightweight contest. Other main card fights included a heavyweight clash between Parker Porter and Chase Sherman; a bantamweight matchup between Trevin Jones and Saidyokub Kakhramonov; a lightweight duel between Vinc Pichel and Austin Hubbard; and a flyweight scrap between Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval.
Jared Cannonier vs Kelvin Gastelum
In the card's main event, middleweight contender Jared Cannonier got the job done with a unanimous decision win over Kelvin Gastelum. 'The Killa Gorilla' edged Gastelum over five rounds in an epic encounter but was disappointed at being unable to get the finish.
Although Cannonier landed meatier strikes, the fight wasn't one-sided in any manner. In fact, Kelvin Gastelum landed more strikes compared to his opponent in the fight. However, the round-three knockdown tilted the balance of the fight in favor of Cannonier.
Gastelum returned fire every time he was tagged, and it made for an intriguing watch for fans. The main event definitely didn't disappoint.
Clay Guida vs Mark Madsen
Mark Madsen remained undefeated after edging veteran fighter Clay Guida to a split decision victory in the co-main event. In a back-and-forth encounter, the majority of judges gave the nod to Madsen with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 28-28. Madsen moved to 11-0 with the win on Saturday night.
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Following the win, Madsen called out Gregor Gillespie.
“There’s a guy out there saying he’s the best wrestler in this division. Gregor Gillespie, I’m coming for you,” said Madsen after the fight.
Parker Porter vs Chase Sherman
In the battle of heavyweights, Parker Porter completely outclassed Chase Sherman en-route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory. Porter put up a striking masterclass on the night, continuously moving forward and landing vicious combinations on his opponent over three rounds.
Judges scored the contest 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 in favor of Porter, who has now won back-to-back fights for the first time in his promotional career.
Saidyokub Kakhramonov vs Trevin Jones
Former CFFC bantamweight champion Saidyokub Kakhramonov picked up his first win inside the octagon with a submission finish against Trevin Jones in their main card encounter. Having taken the fight on just four days' notice, Kakhramonov managed to impress the MMA community when he finished Jones with a vicious standing guillotine choke late in the third round.
Vinc Pichel vs Austin Hubbard
Vinc Pichel outstruck Austin Hubbard over three rounds to claim a unanimous decision victory in their lightweight bout. All judges scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Pichel, who came into the fight with a new coaching team. This was his third win on the trot, and he will be looking to fight a ranked opponent in his next contest.
Alexandre Pantoja vs Brandon Royval
Flyweight contender Alexandre Pantoja stole the spotlight in the main card opening clash. Pantoja established himself as a legitimate contender for the title with a spectacular submission finish of Brandon Royval on the night. He displayed world-class grappling throughout the fight and locked in a rear-naked choke early in the second round to win the scrap.
This was Pantoja's second straight win inside the octagon and he respectfully challenged champion Brandon Moreno to a fight.
UFC Fight Night: Gastelum vs. Cannonier results
Main Card results
Jared Cannonier def. Kelvin Gastelum via Unanimous Decision (48-47 x3)
Mark Madsen def. Clay Guida via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Parker Porter def. Chase Sherman via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Saidyokub Kakhramonov def. Trevin Jones via Submission at (4:39 of Round 3)
Vinc Pichel def. Austin Hubbard via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Royval via Submission at (1:46 of Round 2)
Prelim results
Austin Lingo def. Luis Saldana via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Brian Kelleher def. Domingo Pilarte via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Josiane Nunes def. Bea Malecki via KO (4:54 of Round 1)
William Knight def. Fabio Cherant via KO (3:58 of Round 1)
Ignacio Bahamondes def. Roosevelt Roberts via KO (4:55 of Round 3)
Ramiz Brahimaj def. Sasha Palatnikov via sub (2:33 of Round 1)