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UFC Fight Night: Kelvin Gastelum Beats D-Rod in Saudi Arabia Amid Weight Controversy

Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez mixed it up during the main card of a UFC Fight Night event in Saudi Arabia. In the end, Gastelum earned the unanimous decision win.

Fernando Quiles Jr.

Kelvin Gastelum scores a takedown in round three of his UFC Fight Night clash with Daniel Rodriguez in Saudi Arabia.
Kelvin Gastelum scores a takedown in round three of his UFC Fight Night clash with Daniel Rodriguez in Saudi Arabia. / (via UFC)

The middleweight clash between Kelvin Gastelum and Daniel Rodriguez took place during a UFC Fight Night event in Saudi Arabia.

Gastelum entered this fight hoping to earn his first victory in over a year. He was submitted by Sean Brady in late 2023, and he wanted to show the world that he still has some gas left in the tank.

As for Rodriguez, he didn't have a win since September 2022 going into his clash with Gastelum. Rodriguez dropped back-to-back fights against Neil Magny and Ian Machado Garry, getting finished in both bouts.

There was some controversy going into this one, as Kelvin Gastelum struggled to make 170 pounds. He and Daniel Rodriguez ended up agreeing to a 185-pound clash at the last minute.

Ultimately, this one went the distance and it was Kelvin Gastelum who emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

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Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez - Round 1

Rodriguez wasted little time attacking the calf of Gastelum with kicks in round one. He also connected with jabs.

Gastelum scored with an overhand right. The two exchanged punches with Rodriguez's back near the fence.

Rodriguez found success with body strikes. The two continued their striking battle as the opening frame came to a close.

Round 2

Rodriguez connected with a clear left hand in the second stanza. Gastelum was fighting back, but D-Rod showcased effective counter striking.

A perfectly timed takedown scored for Gastelum, but the fight returned to the feet in short order. Gastelum remained active and had some leg kicks, but he ate a punch upstairs.

D-Rod landed a clean one-two combination. Gastelum scored a takedown, but there were only about four seconds left in the round.

Round 3

Gastelum was busy early on in the final frame. He connected with a solid leg kick as his opponent was off balance. Rodriguez appeared to slow down.

Gastelum pressured D-Rod and had him against the fence. Gastelum then scored another takedown. At this point, the round was clearly in Kelvin's favor.

The action resumed on the feet, but only briefly. Kelvin scored his fourth takedown of the fight and maintained top control until the final horn.

The fight went the distance and Gastelum earned scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27 to earn the unanmous decision victory.

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Fernando Quiles Jr.

FERNANDO QUILES JR.

Fernando has over a decade of combat sports news writing experience. He currently covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Fernando joined MMA Knockout as the Lead Writer/Editor when it was founded in 2023.

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