Tony Kelley stops Randy Costa after brutal knee into body

Tony Kelley was uncompromising as he mercilessly dived and finished off Randy Costa on the ground in a UFC 269 early fight.

Tony Kelley walks into the Octagon on Saturday UFC 269 soon became famous with a score of +176 against young and explosive Randy Costa, who was favored at -206. He exits the Octagon with a dominant victory, bringing him back for the second time in a row UFC win and a reward.

Costa is known for his explosive teamfights, which came as a surprise given that Kelley showed up early and dominated the game from the start. Costa went to great lengths to reserve energy and fight together for the long haul, which Daniel Cormier revealed on the commentary he mentioned was his game plan for the fight. However, he is clearly too conservative and allows Kelley to do some work too soon.

Kelley opened the second half with a clear focus on damaging Costa’s legs and torso. He unleashed foot kicks and front kicks that shook the younger boxer, forcing Costa to rush in and tutor. It would have been the worst decision, however, as Kelley took the opportunity to create space and throw some devastating knees into the body. This was too much for Costa, who fell to the carpet and was completed shortly after.

Tony Kelley’s early use of speed should be something he builds before the next fight

Getting involved early and often helps Kelley keep this teamfight under control, which is something Kelley should be building on for the foreseeable future. At 34, Kelley doesn’t have much time left but could make a late hit at bantamweight if he can keep up the pace he showed in this bout.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Randy Costa has plenty of time to build up his kit and become a better boxer. This fight will get him back on track, having lost two straight fights in the UFC, but he has plenty of time to get that chance back.