Upgraded to the main event slot on fight day, Kennedy Nzechukwu (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) took advantage in a big way, as he halted Ion Cutelaba (16-9-1 MMA, 5-8-1 UFC) in the second round of their light heavyweight bout.
Cutelaba got off to a strong start, as he jarred Nzechukwu and then tied him up against the fence. Ninety seconds in, Cutelaba took his foe down and landed in the mount position. Nzechukwu got to his feet with a little over two minutes remaining, but Cutelaba remained locked on until he scored another takedown. Nzechukwu fought his way free and looked for his own takedown as they both rose, but he wasn’t able to get it.
A knee by Nzechukwu rocked Cutelaba, and even when the Moldovan responded with a low kick, the Nigeria native wasn’t interested in a break. Instead, he kept the heat on his opponent, hurt him again, and after a series of unanswered blows, referee Keith Peterson stopped the fight. The official time was 1:02 of round 2.
Complete UFC Fight Night 215 results include:
MAIN CARD
- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Ion Cutelaba via TKO (knee, punches) – Round 2, 1:02
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Chase Sherman via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Muslim Salikhov def. Andre Fialho via TKO (spinning back kick, punches) – Round 3, 1:03
- Jack Della Maddalena def. Danny Roberts via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:24
- Charles Johnson def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Jennifer Maia def. Maryna Moroz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Miles Johns def. Vince Morales via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ricky Turcios def. Kevin Natividad via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Vanessa Demopoulos def. Maria Oliveira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Brady Hiestand def. Fernie Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Natalia Silva def. Tereza Bleda via TKO (spinning back kick) – Round 3, 1:27
