UFC Results: Rashad Evans & Daniel Kelly Go To War, Bout Ends In Controversial Decision

[MORE VIDEOS UNDER THE RESULT]

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans made his way down to the octagon as a middleweight for the first time in his career, welcomed by Daniel Kelly on the main card of “UFC 209”.

Evans’ speed clearly outclassed Kelly and made him think twice about getting within striking distance of the former champion. Kelly landed a glancing left hand on Evans, but Evans shrugged it off and kept pressing forward. Kelly marched in with another left hand, catching Evans off guard. Evans, again, walked through it and shot for a takedown. Kelly stuffed it but couldn’t shrug Evans off completely. Evans was forced to abandon the attempt completely and made his way back to the center of the octagon.

Kelly pressed Evans up against the octagon but it did nothing as Rashad simply bounced back to the center of the octagon. The round would end with neither man gaining much momentum.

Kelly tagged Evans with a stiff right straight a couple minutes into the second round, but just like before, Evans would shrug it off. Kelly tried to trip Evans down, but Evans blocked it and remained on his feet. Kelly tried to get back up to his feet and ate a knee along the way. An accidental poke of the eye would cause a brief halt in action, but both fighters picked up the pace to make up for the momentum lost on both ends due to the pause.

Evans took the back of Kelly while standing and tried to fire off a kick, but Kelly got up and dodged it in time. When the action made its way back to the center, Evans went back to the attack of Kelly’s body with mid-level kicks and neither man would land anything major until the next round had begun.

Kelly pushed the pace in the third just as much as he had in the first two, but Evans did enough to even the score with his output of strikes. Evans landed a swift, quick uppercut that landed flush in the middle of the round. Evans cracked Kelly with three punch combination, but Kelly ate it like a zombie and fired off a couple wild uppercuts of his own. Evans turned up the pace in the final round, peppering Kelly with shots until the final horn sounded.

Daniel Kelly def. Rashad Evans by way of Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)