Chris Gutierrez and John Castaneda faced off in a featherweight fight at UFC Kansas City on Saturday, on a preliminary card that had seen four of five fights end in finishes to that point.
The fight was originally booked at UFC 313 early last month, but had to be rescheduled after Castaneda pulled out due to illness.
After half a round of back and forth, Gutierrez went down off a slip more than anything, allowing Castaneda to get some time on top. The crowd didn’t love it, but Castaneda was able to get some time on top while Gutierrez attempted to tie things up. Castaneda would eventually moved back to his feed, and have to avoid an upkick situation; Gutierrez then scrambled up – and dropped Castaneda moments later! That straight right hand was the biggest blow of the round, leaving Castaneda in survival mode for the final seconds of the round.
Castaneda had recovered well enough between rounds to avoid a finish early in the second, but there was little doubt he’d been rocked. The pair traded single strikes and kicks in the opening 90 seconds of the frame, with Gutierrez mixing in a good number of feints. Castaneda’s corner suggested Gutierrez was tired, urging their fighter to attack first. He did land a heavy right hand, snapping Gutierrez’s head to the side. They’d battle back and forth on the feet til the bell then head to the third.
Round three came at a slower pace, with things still up in the air for most of it. Castaneda would secure the takedown with two minutes left in the round, working from the top while Gutierrez tried to throw up an arm bar. What he didn’t go was scramble out, however; Castaneda then moved to side control.
With the fight going the distance, it was Gutierrez securing his second straight win, earning the nod on two of three scorecards.
Official Result: Chris Gutierrez def. John Castaneda by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
