Kelvin Gastelum became the youngest champion in The Ultimate Fighter history as he upset his Team Sonnen teammate Uriah Hall by split decision at the TUF 17 finale Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
The 21-year-old Gastelum pressured Hall from the get-go, backing his opponent up, landing some big punches and putting Hall on his back in the first round.
In the second round, Hall landed several solid jabs, a crisp head kick and a spin kick to the body, but Gastelum pressed Hall against the cage and secured a takedown. When on the ground, Hall used a sweep to gain a dominant position. Gastelum scrambled to his feet but Hall took the fight back to the mat with a trip.
Gastelum worked to his feet again but before the round came to a close Hall tossed him with a massive suplex. Gastelum landed on his head but seemed no worse for wear as the round ended.
The final stanza was a back-and-forth battle that saw a plethora of positional changes and momentum shifts.
In the end, Gastelum controlled the position for the majority of the third round. Although one judge scored two rounds for Hall, the other two judges scored the bout 29-28 for Gastelum resulting in the split decision.
“I can’t even put it in words,” an overwhelmed Gastelum said after the fight. “I knew he was a good striker and I was confident in my striking.”
The Yuma, Ari., native improved to 6-0 as a professional. This was the first pro fight for Gastelum that went to a decision.
Prior to the bout, the UFC announced that Gastelum was awarded Submission of Season for his rear-naked choke of Josh Samman in the TUF 17 semi-finals, while Hall won Knockout of the Season for his spinning-heel kick knockout of Adam Cella.
Luke Barnatt and Dylan Andrews won Fight of Season for their epic brawl in the quarterfinals.
All four fighters earned $25,000 for their efforts.
Gastelum, along with his coach Chael Sonnen, also won a new Harley Davidson motorcycle for winning the tournament.