Read on for UFC Fight Night early prelim results...
CARAWAY vs STERLING
Bryan Caraway’s long career at the elite level of the sport didn’t keep him from being a prohibitive underdog against Aljamain Sterling on Sunday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, but those odds didn’t deter Caraway, who handed Sterling his first pro loss via split decision.
Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for the No. 8-ranked Caraway, now 21-8; the No. 4-ranked Sterling falls to 12-1.
Caraway got off to a strong start behind a steady striking attack, and while the veteran forced Sterling to work for his first takedown, once the New Yorker got it, he took Caraway’s back and put him in trouble. Caraway’s defense was solid, but the dynamic ground assault of Sterling had his foe not knowing where the next move was coming from. “Kid Lightning” did make it out of the round, but not without losing that first frame.
Able to toss aside Sterling’s first takedown of round two, Caraway began pecking at Sterling’s left eye, which was showing some swelling, and with under two minutes left, the Las Vegan scored his first takedown of the night. While on the mat, Caraway worked his ground strikes as he smothered Sterling and pushed him to the fence, evening things up at one round apiece.
Caraway put the bout back on the mat in the opening minute, and while Sterling found some daylight, Caraway grounded him once more. Sterling rose once more, this time with Caraway on his back, as the veteran kept the prospect from taking the momentum back, wrapping up a big victory for the underdog.
More from Fight Night Las Vegas: Results | McMann, Trujillo, Collier, Koch take prelim wins | Caraway turns tables to defeat Sterling | Octagon interviews: Bryan Caraway | FIGHT PASS customers: Watch Caraway-Sterling, Milstead-De la Rocha on Demand
MILSTEAD vs. DE LA ROCHA
Heavyweight prospect Adam Milstead made an immediate impact in his UFC debut, stopping Chris De la Rocha in the second round.
Milstead and De la Rocha were apparently chasing a Fight of the Night bonus as soon as the bout began, as they engaged in a toe-to-toe slugfest, each getting tagged with haymakers at close range. After this frantic opening, the pace settled down and Milstead surged into the lead, with his pinpoint blows, rocking and bloodying De la Rocha, but not putting him down.
In the second, Milstead kept the pressure on, and his pinpoint blows were landing with more and more frequency as he kept the gutsy De la Rocha from turning things around by getting the fight to the mat. Eventually, with more and more punishment being dished out, referee Chris Tognoni had seen enough, wisely stopping the bout at the 4:01 mark of round two.
With the win, Milstead moves to 8-1; De la Rocha falls to 4-2.
