LAS VEGAS – Rafael Estevam beat Charles Johnson with a unanimous decision Saturday to open up the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Estevam, who missed weight for his UFC debut – and also had a bad weight cut that led to a fight cancellation for what was supposed to be his debut in May.
Rafael Estevam vs. Charles Johnson
Result: Rafael Estevam def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Estevam (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Johnson (13-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Key stats: Johnson landed more than three times as many total strikes as Estevam, but Estevam had nearly two full rounds of control time to sway the judges.
Estevam on the fight's key moment
“I thought I would be able to finish him, but I’ve got to give credit to him because he had his moments, especially in the third round. He is a tough guy, but I’m happy for my performance at the end of the day. Everybody has good days. Everybody has a chance and, I just won, so I’m happy.”
Estevam on his weight miss
“Cutting weight is very, very tough. I was not the first (to miss weight), and I’m not going to be the last one. I’m sure there are many, many details to be fixed, and we’re going to fix these mistakes. Human beings make mistakes, and that happens, but we’re going to work hard to make sure that it’s not going to happen again.”
Estevam on what he wants next
“I have to sit down with my team and have the UFC show me an opponent, but I guarantee that I’m ready for anyone.”
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 232.
