Juliana Velasquez barely edges out Denise Kielholtz to retain title at Bellator 262.
The judges’ decision on a tough fight to call was an unpopular decision at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, as the crowd booed when it was announced Juliana Velasquez defeated Denise Kielholtz to retain the Bellator women’s flyweight championship in the main event of Bellator 262.
The fight was contested on the feet for just about the entire fight. And despite Kielholtz, the former Bellator Kickboxing champ, landing several hard shots, and the bigger quantity, Velasquez had gotten comfortable working her jab and finding her distance in the middle rounds.
Juliana Velasquez retains women’s flyweight title at Bellator 262 in a fight with Denise Kielholtz that could have fallen either way
Velasquez lived up to her promise of keeping the fight standing, but the former kickboxing champion was in control of the first round, pressuring Velasquez and having most of the output, including a pair of notable hard shots. Velasquez, however, found her range in the second round and made things a more even and technical battle.
Velasquez was able to find success in the third by fighting and landing inside. Even if Kielholtz slightly landed more in that round, Velasquez clearly looked more comfortable, even landing a takedown at the end of the third frame.
Kielholtz found her groove again in the fourth, bringing another close round to an already close fight. Kielholtz rocked Velasquez basically out of the gate in the fifth and final round, being the pressuring fighter once again. Velasquez, however, landed her fair share of damaging shots still in the round, bringing the fight to a tough judges’ decision that could’ve fallen either way.
All three judges scored the fight 48-47, with two judges giving the fight to Velasquez, allowing her to retain the title on a split decision.