Flyweights Rafael Estevam and Jesus Aguilar faced off on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday, and had a tough act to follow after Gabriel Bonfim put Khaos Williams to sleep.
Estevam was undefeated in his pro career, starting the night with a dozen wins under his belt with Aguilar looking to play spoiler.
An early clinch at center saw the pair come together and Estevam come out on top. That led to a scramble and Aguilar threatening off his back, but Estevan managed to take the back, before a further scramble along the fence saw them back up, then down again, Estevan in guard. The entire round played out in this fashion, with scrambles and transitions on the ground and Estevan more often than not maintaining the dominant position.
Round two saw more ground game play out with Estevam again getting dominant positions and finding some space for ground n’ pound. When Morales worked back to his feet, he almost immediately had to contend with another takedown attempt. That was sapping his energy and making it difficult to get any offense of his own off. The only bright spot for Aguilar through two rounds, really, was that he has survived.
Estevam was again pursuing takedowns early in the third, but appeared to have slowed a step, with Aguilar able to stuff one attempt. He was marching forward, with Estevam firing right hands and kicks to keep him at bay. Estevam managed to shoot again later in the frame, and Aguilar stuffed it again, and took the back, only to find himself too far up. He fell over the top, allowing Estevam to get back on top. With seconds ticking away, Aguilar might have lost his last real chance to get back in the fight and find the finish he almost certainly needed.
Official Result: Rafael Estevam def. Kevin Aguilar by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
