MMA: CASTANEDA VICTORIOUS ON UFC CONTENDER SERIES

John Castaneda (14-2, mma) of Minneapolis, Minnesota won his UFC contender series fight on August 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada by decision over three rounds of action. Castaneda appeared to be smaller than his opponent Cheyden Leialoha (6-1) but it didn’t matter because his striking was sharper and so was his wrestling. It was a good showing that hopefully leads to more UFC appearances.
Castaneda fell behind in the early parts of the opening round as Leialoha started fast. However, the Minnesotan was getting the better of things as the round came to a close.
Castaneda’s coach Greg Nelson told him between rounds that it was time to step in on his strikes and go after Leialoha. And that is exactly what he did. The rest of the fight featured good action from both fighters but Castaneda was landing cleaner and more often. A take down, followed by punches near the end of the third and final round sealed the victory.