Footscray-trained mixed martial arts fighter Daniel Kelly is basking in the glory of his win over American Steve Montgomery in a UFC 193 middleweight preliminary bout at a rocking Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Kelly was superb in front of his home fans, asserting his dominance from the start of the three-round bout to come away with the biggest victory of his MMA career.
The result was undisputed in the eyes of the judges, who all voted 29-28 to award the decision to Kelly.
“To fight in the UFC is a massive deal, to fight in my home town is a big deal and to fight in a stadium in your home town in the UFC and win … it’s made my year, it’s awesome,” Kelly said.
Kelly has worked hard to prove he belongs in the UFC.
As a four-time Olympian, there was no disputing his relevance in the sport of judo, but there are inevitably doubters when an individual crosses to a different sport.
The 38-year-old has heard the naysayers and continues to silence them.
“Everyone criticises,” Kelly said. “He can’t box, he doesn’t show any judo, I boxed and showed judo tonight.
“I’ve won three fights in the UFC now and not against locals, they’re all Americans I’m beating.
“I think I’m proving I belong in this organisation and I’m going to carry on for a little while longer.”
The style of Kelly’s win was important to him as there has been a long-held belief that he lacks a menacing strike to go with his grappling.
He conceded himself that he needed to improve to have a more dangerous all-round MMA game, so he spent long hours in his Footscray gym, focusing on his striking.
He put it all out there in the middle of Etihad Stadium.
“He hit me a few times, granted, but I hit him with some very heavy shots and my striking is improving,” Kelly said.
“I came to striking late and my body doesn’t let me do a lot of things. I work really hard on that [boxing], it’s not something I joke around with. I’ll get in there and have a crack.”
Kelly improved his MMA record to 10-1-0.
The Westmeadows resident has won three of his four UFC fights but this was undoubtedly his most impressive showing at the top level.
Kelly took down Montgomery in the first round and again in the third, but just couldn’t get the referee to stop the bout, meaning he had to go the distance to be awarded the win.
“I knew it was going to be a hard fight,” he said.
“I was trying to soften him up with those blows, but I knew there was no chance they’d stop the fight because he wasn’t covering up that much and he still felt strong in the body.
“I reckon I was close [to stopping the fight] in that first round . . . but I couldn’t quite finish him.”
