Bantamweight veteran, Brian Kelleher earned a decision win against Domingo Pilarte at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Gastelum. ‘Boom’ returned to winning ways with this win as he dropped his last fight against Ricky Simon at UFC 258. Following his triumph, Kelleher celebrated in style as well.
‘Boom’ executed a pro wrestling move on his coach after the fight. He took a page from Stone Cold Steve Austin’s book and replicated the Stunner on his trainer. Needless to mention, the perennial contender of the 135 lbs division enjoyed his win.
STUNNER! @brianboom135 celebrated his #UFCVegas34 win Stone Cold-style 🥶 pic.twitter.com/5ae8q94Nyj
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 22, 2021
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Kelleher was really impressive during the fight as well. He out struck his opponent almost by twice the numbers. Kelleher landed a massive tally of 236 shots on Pilarte. What makes that number more impressive is the fact that he only attempted 270 strikes.
Also, ‘Boom’ secured 3/3 takedowns on his opponent. So, clearly, this was one of the most accurate and technical performances of Kelleher’s professional career.
What’s next for Brian Kelleher after his impressive win?
‘Boom’ will be determined to build on this win and establish himself as a top 15 bantamweight in the world. As Kelleher’s most recent losses have been against promising stars like Cody Stamann and Ricky Simon, he certainly deserves an opponent of the same caliber as those two in his next fight.
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Given his showing tonight, Kelleher should expect an opponent that could help him make his way into the top 15 next. He has called out his shot as he wants Sean O’Malley next, but it’s unlikely he will get that fight. As ‘Suga’ is looking to catapult into the rankings of the bantamweight division, he will look for an opponent ranked higher than him. This is because many have downplayed his last win over Kris Moutinho.
Who the UFC matches Brian Kelleher up against remains to be seen. However, he certainly made an excellent case for himself.
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Also, his Stunner move inside the Octagon will not go unnoticed. Whether the famous 3:16 has noticed it or not is yet to be known. Fans will keep a close eye on how that story unfolds.