Kelvin Gastelum punches Uriah Hall in their middleweight fight at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in Las Vegas. (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Uriah Hall was the favorite to win “The Ultimate Fighter” from the first episode. UFC president Dana White called him the “meanest” guy to ever compete on the reality series after he sent all four men he fought to the hospital.
But it was Kelvin Gastelum, the show’s Cinderella story, who took home the “TUF” tournament title and six-figure UFC contract Saturday night at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Gastelum, the last fighter picked by coach Chael Sonnen, defeated Hall, a Queens resident, by split decision in a back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments. Hall got all the hype during the show and leading up to the finale; the unheralded Gastelum was the one raising the trophy at the end.
“I’m speechless right now,” Gastelum said. “Obviously I’m happy but I’m kind of hurting because it was a tough fight. My eye hurts a bit and he got a couple kicks in that did some damage but I’ll heal up just fine. It’s a great feeling and I’m looking forward to taking a little time off and then getting back to training.”
Gastelum, 21, took down Hall in the first round, which he clearly won. Hall dropped his hands and didn’t defend well, doing almost an Anderson Silva impression. Gastelum didn’t let him get away with it.
Hall, 28, came back in the second round with his striking and an impressive German suplex. It was Gastelum’s wrestling again, though, that ended up deciding the fight. A late takedown likely swayed the two judges who had him winning the fight. Hall landed some vicious blows from the bottom and ended up on top when the bell sounded, but it didn’t end up being enough.
Hall will also definitely be in the UFC and probably a solid competitor at middleweight, but he won’t come with the same cache that he built up during “The Ultimate Fighter.” Hall’s spinning heel kick knockout of Adam Cella on the second episode was the most devastating finish in “TUF” history.
That will long be remembered, but so will Gastelum’s underdog story.