Heavyweights Kennedy Nzechukwu and Lukasz Brzeski kicked off the UFC 310 card in Las Vegas on Saturday, the final PPV event for the UFC in 2024.
Nzechukwu, a former light heavyweight, had moved up for his last fight, and was looking to find continued success against Poland’s Brzeski.
Brzeski began the fight on the offensive, targeting the legs and staying cautiously on the edge of Nzechukwu’s pawing jab. A few seconds in Lukasz clashed in with a clubbing shot before targeting the body. Kennedy looked to control the wrist of his opponent but stayed reserved. Lukasz’s boxing met its mark just as often as it met the high guard of his opponent. Nzechukwu landed to the body with teeps before partially landing high. Kennedy slipped from out of the way of punch and landed a thudding stepping knee. Brzeski recoiled but looked largely unaffected throwing back single punches.
With a minute left in the round Nzechukwu began to find his rhythm cracking his opponent with an audible hook. In the final seconds of the round, Nzechukwu landed a short counter hook as Brzeski looked for a blind shot. Moments later the fight was over. The stylish highlight reel finish sported a defensively-sound Kennedy making his new weight class look easy and showing off a real diverse range of kickboxing weapons.
In the post-fight interview Kennedy spoke about what made him move up after his 11-fight UFC stint at 205lbs. “The doctor said it was compromising my health, and it would be bad in the long run.”
The understated 32-year-old calmly remarked before leaving the octagon, “It’s just progress from here” adding “I want to stay busy next year.”
Official Result: Kennedy Nzechukwu def Lukasz Brzeski by TKO, Round 1, 4:51
