LOS ANGELES -- UFC middleweight Kevin Casey, son-in-law of Muhammad Ali, fought to a split draw at UFC 199 on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the death of his iconic father-in-law.
Casey, 34, fought Elvis Mutapcic to scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 28-28 inside The Forum, the same venue where Ali defeated Ken Norton in a heavyweight rematch in September 1973.
Casey (9-4-2) won the first round on all three judges' scorecards but appeared tired near the end of the fight. He was transported to the hospital afterward for precautionary reasons. When asked about his relationship to Ali immediately after the bout, Casey admitted the circumstances of the fight were difficult.
"It's a lot to go through before a fight," Casey said. "Thank you, guys, for the support. God bless my family."
Mutapcic said afterward he knew Casey was going to be motivated heading into the fight.
"Muhammad Ali is the greatest of all time and that's his father-in-law. I feel like Kevin had a little more to prove because he married into the family and he was going to want to make a statement," Mutapcic said. "I knew it was going to be rough at first and that I'd have to pick it up in the second. I was a little too eager and he did a good job of not giving me any space. He did a lot of damage in the first, but he didn't do any in the second or third."
Casey is married to Ali's daughter, Hana Ali. On Saturday, Hana shared a statement on her personal Instagram account.
"Our hearts are literally hurting," she wrote. "But we are so happy daddy is free now."
The UFC honored Muhammad Ali with a video tribute during Saturday's event.
The UFC honoring Muhammad Ali with a video tribute before UFC 199. pic.twitter.com/gw6DMi74AW
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 5, 2016