Bryan Caraway stops Erik Perez's momentum with submission win
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Bryan Caraway isn't just Miesha Tate's boyfriend. He's a borderline top-10 bantamweight.
Caraway beat rising prospect Erik Perez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:52 of the second round at UFC Fight Night on Saturday here at Tingley Coliseum. He was clearly the better grappler and when Perez went for a takedown, Caraway quickly transitioned to his back and the fight was over soon after.
Caraway, 29, has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and with good reason. Tate, his girlfriend for the last seven years, gets most of the attention for being a top-ranked women's bantamweight and also being very popular with male fans. But Caraway came in at No. 14 among 135-pound contender in the UFC. Perez was No. 11, so Caraway, who is now 4-1 in the UFC, should be getting a bump up.
Perez (14-6) hurt Caraway (19-6) a number of times in the first round with standing knees. He hit with him three straight with under a minute left that jarred Caraway. But Caraway took his back in the first, too, and snared a takedown late that might have earned him the round.
Afterward, Caraway said he'd be interested in next fighting bantamweight contender Michael McDonald -- or a rematch with Takeya Mizugaki, who handed him his lone UFC loss.
As for Perez, he's just 24 years old and will remain one of the keys to the UFC's expansion into Mexico. The Jackson's MMA product will likely compete on the Mexico City card in November.
