After 11 takedowns, Rafael Estevam not sure who’d grapple him

LAS VEGAS – Rafael Estevam beat Jesus Aguilar with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 251 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Estevam, who stayed unbeaten and won at flyweight without a weight issue in the UFC for the first time.

Rafael Estevam def. Jesus Aguilar

Result: Rafael Estevam def. Jesus Aguilar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Estevam (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) def. Jesus Aguilar (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Key stats: Estevam landed 11 takedowns for more than 9 minutes of total control time.

Rafael Estevam def. Jesus Aguilar, UFC Fight Night 251 (via UFC)

Estevam on the fight’s key moment

“I knew that I was going into the third round up two (rounds to) nothing. I got to the third round and started running away with it a little. I knew I needed to pull a rabbit out of a hat, and I was able to do it. It was about waiting for him to make a mistake. When he did – he kind of overreached out there – I was able to take him over, and from then on, I knew that I had it in me. It was just a matter of controlling, and I was happy about that win.”

Estevam on his grappling

“That was the plan – to keep things on the ground. I didn’t know if that was his plan. I figured he would have watched the tape on me and did not want to go to the mat. I thought he was going to keep his distance. … But listen: Once you’re there with me, he decided to grapple when he was going against a natural grappler – somebody who is very comfortable out there.”

Estevam on what he wants next

“The plan is to get two more fights (this year), and I’m going to get those two more fights. The plan is to be active, continue to train – always be training, always be ready. (There are) no names out there, but let’s talk about this. I beat Charles Johnson, who was No. 12 in the (UFC flyweight) rankings. I think I deserved a 12 or 13. So just give me give me that chance because I deserve it.”

To hear more from Estevam, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 251.