Rising prospect Aljamain Sterling (12-1) faced veteran Bryan Caraway (21-7) at UFC Fight Night 88 in Las Vegas as the last bout on the Fight Pass prelims. After three grappling-centric rounds, Caraway took a split decision, putting an end to Sterling's spotless record.
A definitive first round for Sterling, ranked No. 4 going into the bantamweight fight, saw him controlling Caraway on the ground but unable to put him in real danger, as Caraway's grappling defense was just too solid. Caraway, alternately locked in a body triangle or with his back taken, thwarted several choke attempts and a twister.
29-28 Caraway. It was a strong first round for Sterling, but he wasn't close to finishing.
— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) May 29, 2016
The Serra-Longo Fight Team product failed to recapture that dominance for the rest of the fight. With a game that appeared to rely on kicks as his primary mode of striking, it wasn't enough to finish eighth-ranked Caraway or stop him from coming forward.
Caraway, with bantamweight champion Miesha Tate in his corner, utilized his wrestling and extensive Octagon experience to grind Sterling down. After dominating Sterling on the ground in rounds two and three, Caraway seemed confident he'd won when the bell rang. This marked his eighth fight in the UFC in four and a half years under their banner, while Sterling made his Octagon debut in February 2014, taking a decision win over Cody Gibson.
great fight. Caraway out veteraned Sterling, the prospect ran out of ideas in the face of a seasoned fighter's game #UFCVegas
— T. P. Grant (@TP_Grant) May 29, 2016
During the buildup to the fight, Sterling attempted to trash talk Caraway (h/t MMAMania), mocking his relationship with girlfriend Tate and slinging gendered insults. Caraway seemed unfazed by Sterling's grade-school taunts, and that poise translated to the cage. Caraway remained calm, even when virtually immobilized in the first round with a full nelson, and focused on defense first, rather than escapes.
It paid off, and Caraway racked up his sixth win in the Octagon. In his post-fight interview, Caraway said, "I was just too cautious at first, and when you let someone get to a dominant position he’ll take advantage. I think the theme of this fight was heart over hype."
He also had a message for his haters:
Bryan Caraway message for 'haters' after win over Aljamain Sterling #UFC #UFCVegas https://t.co/nhfKXBAeE3
— Aidan O'Donoghue (@AidanDonoghue) May 29, 2016
Sterling claimed to have burned himself out in the first round, in part due to attempting the full nelson. "He was able to tolerate it better than most because he isn’t as muscular so he could bend and maneuver," he said in his post-fight interview.
Now that Caraway has arrested Sterling's ascension, it's likely Sterling will have to prove himself at least a few times over before getting a shot at a top-ranked opponent. Caraway, on the other hand, expects a big step up in competition. "[Sterling is] the No. 4 guy and the only ones ahead of him are Dillashaw, Faber and Barao, so I think I should be the next guy up for a shot at the title.”
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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