In the lead up to UFC Liverpool, Australia’s Daniel Kelly’s mentioned that a loss may force him to hang up the gloves, but a final fight in Australia would be more fitting.
Up against one of England’s top young prospects in Tom Breese (11-1), it was never going to be easy for the Aussie. Kelly’s knack for proving the doubters wrong, however, did not eventuate this time around, losing in the first-round by TKO.
From the outset of the fight, it was evident that Breese’s youth, speed and reach would be difficult to overcome for Kelly. A left uppercut that broke through Kelly’s defence and appeared to glance past his eye led Kelly to back up, before succumbing to a barrage of shots from the Englishman. On the replay, it could be seen that the shot did indeed glance Kelly’s eye, but with Breese’s fist clearly shut, the punch was legitimate.
The loss to Breese was Kelly’s third in a row and brings his professional record to 13-4. While questions may linger as to what are the next steps are in Kelly’s career, one can hope that he will get his wish of one last fight in his home country.
