# UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum
**UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum** (also known as UFC Vegas 34 and UFC on ESPN 29) was a mixed martial arts event held by the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) on August 21, 2021, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, headlined by a middleweight bout between [Jared Cannonier](https://www.edgepedia.org/jared-cannonier) and [Kelvin Gastelum](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelvin-gastelum).[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) Cannonier won the five-round main event by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-47 in his favor.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Saturday, August 21, 2021, UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) |
| Main event result | Jared Cannonier def. Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-cannonier-gastelum-results-highlights-interviews-winners-ufc-vegas-34) |
| Records after the fight | Cannonier 14-5 overall, 7-5 in the UFC; Gastelum 16-8 overall, 11-8 in the UFC[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) |
| Booking | Gastelum stepped in on short notice after the originally scheduled opponent Paulo Costa withdrew[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/) |
| Key moment | Cannonier floored Gastelum with a clean right hook in the third round, but no finish followed[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) |
| Co-main event | Mark O. Madsen edged Clay Guida by split decision in a three-round lightweight bout[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) |
## Building the main event
The matchup came together after a withdrawal. Cannonier's originally scheduled opponent, [Paulo Costa](https://www.edgepedia.org/paulo-costa), was forced out of the August 21 card, and Kelvin Gastelum (17-7, 1 NC at the time of booking) verbally agreed to face Cannonier (13-5) in the middleweight main event instead.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/) For Cannonier, it was the third time in his previous four fights that he had been matched with a former UFC champion or a title challenger.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/)
Both men entered on losing streaks against the same opponent. Cannonier had dropped a unanimous decision to former champion [Robert Whittaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-whittaker) at [UFC 254](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-254) in October 2020, and Gastelum's most recent fight as of April 2021, was also a unanimous decision loss to Whittaker, a result that left him 1-4 over his previous five outings.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/) Gastelum carried the stronger résumé into the cage: he had fought [Israel Adesanya](https://www.edgepedia.org/israel-adesanya) for a vacant interim middleweight title at UFC 236 in 2019.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/)
## The main event fight
Cannonier controlled the decisive moments with power and defense. UFC's statistical preview listed him at 3.7 strikes landed per minute with 54% takedown defense, and described a style built on walking opponents down, chopping at their base with low leg kicks, and then releasing heavy looping and technical punches; in the clinch he showed strength, especially against the fence.[4](https://www.ufc.com/news/significant-stats-ufc-fight-night-cannonier-vs-gastelum-preview)
Gastelum kept a brisk pace and tried to pressure with leg kicks, lunging left hands and one-twos, but Cannonier was effective defensively and largely steered clear of danger.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) In the third round Cannonier dropped Gastelum with a clean right hook, yet Gastelum, a veteran of *The Ultimate Fighter 17*, recovered and the fight continued to the scorecards.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213) Cannonier shut down Gastelum's takedown attempts, landed effective combinations throughout, and withstood a late surge.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213)
All three officials scored it 48-47 for Cannonier, seeing the fight three rounds to two.[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-cannonier-gastelum-results-highlights-interviews-winners-ufc-vegas-34) The win moved Cannonier to 14-5 overall and 4-1 in the middleweight division, while Gastelum fell to 1-5 over his last six outings.[2](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-cannonier-gastelum-results-highlights-interviews-winners-ufc-vegas-34) After the fight Cannonier said he needed the paycheck and hoped the victory would lead to a title shot.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/8/22/22636165/jared-cannonier-close-decision-win-over-kelvin-gastelum-declares-im-broke-ufc-vegas-34-main-event)
## Rest of the card
**Co-main event.** Mark O. Madsen, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist in [Greco-Roman wrestling](https://www.edgepedia.org/greco-roman-wrestling), kept his professional record unbeaten at 11-0 by taking a split decision over former Strikeforce champion [Clay Guida](https://www.edgepedia.org/clay-guida). Judges Michael Bell and Eric Colon scored it 29-28 and 30-27 for Madsen, while Sal D'Amato had it 29-28 for Guida.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213)
Other results on the card included Parker Porter's unanimous decision over Chase Sherman in a heavyweight bout (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), Saidyokub Kakhramonov's third-round guillotine choke of Trevin Jones at 4:39 of round three, Vinc Pichel's unanimous decision over Austin Hubbard, and [Alexandre Pantoja](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandre-pantoja)'s second-round rear-naked choke submission of [Brandon Royval](https://www.edgepedia.org/brandon-royval) at 1:46 of round two in a flyweight feature.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213)
## Aftermath
The result kept Cannonier in the middleweight title conversation, and he went on to challenge Israel Adesanya for the undisputed middleweight championship at [UFC 276](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-276) on July 2, 2022, losing a five-round unanimous decision at [T-Mobile Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/t-mobile-arena) in Las Vegas.[6](https://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-276) Gastelum's slide continued after the event; he was later booked into a January 2023 main event against [Nassourdine Imavov](https://www.edgepedia.org/nassourdine-imavov) but was removed from that bout due to injury and replaced by Sean Strickland.[7](https://www.ufc.com/news/updates-ufc-fight-night-imavov-vs-gastelum?language_content_entity=en)
## References
1. [Jared Cannonier Rebounds, Turns Away Kelvin Gastelum in UFC on ESPN 29 Headliner, Sherdog (Brian Knapp, Aug 21, 2021)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jared-Cannonier-Rebounds-Turns-Away-Kelvin-Gastelum-in-UFC-on-ESPN-29-Headliner-181213)
2. [UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Gastelum Results, Highlights, Interviews and More, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-cannonier-gastelum-results-highlights-interviews-winners-ufc-vegas-34)
3. [Paulo Costa out, Kelvin Gastelum steps in to fight Jared Cannonier in Aug. 21 UFC main event, MMA Fighting (Jun 5, 2021)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/6/5/22519932/paulo-costa-out-kelvin-gastelum-steps-in-to-fight-jared-cannonier-in-aug-21-ufc-main-event/)
4. [Significant Stats | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Gastelum, UFC.com (Zac Pacleb, Aug 18, 2021)](https://www.ufc.com/news/significant-stats-ufc-fight-night-cannonier-vs-gastelum-preview)
5. [Jared Cannonier earns close decision win over Kelvin Gastelum, declares 'I'm broke' after UFC Vegas 34 main event, MMA Fighting (Aug 22, 2021)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/8/22/22636165/jared-cannonier-close-decision-win-over-kelvin-gastelum-declares-im-broke-ufc-vegas-34-main-event)
6. [UFC 276: Adesanya vs Cannonier, UFC.com event page](https://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-276)
7. [Updates To UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Gastelum, UFC.com (Jan 10, 2023)](https://www.ufc.com/news/updates-ufc-fight-night-imavov-vs-gastelum?language_content_entity=en)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › UFC Fight Night events › UFC Fight Night events 2019–2021*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license