Takeya Mizugaki vs. Aljamain Sterling

Round 1
Sterling moves quickly to clinch and press Mizugaki against the fence, but Mizugaki forces the “Funk Master” to rethink by turning the corner and nearly securing a rear waistlock. Sterling busts loose, comes back and shoots on Mizugaki’s legs, but again winds up with an underhook, pressing the Japanese fighter on the cage. Mizugaki keeps his balance through a single-leg takedown attempt, and the bantamweights trade knees underneath, Sterling landing to the legs and Mizugaki to the body. Referee Gasper Oliver breaks up the fighters with 2:00 on the clock. Mizugaki lands a counter uppercut on the leaning Sterling, then takes a leg kick and ducks under a left hook. Sterling tries another single and this time manages to run Mizugaki to the ground at the base of the fence. Mizugaki scrambles to stand, manages to get back to his feet but is immediately wrapped up and tripped back to the mat. Mizugaki stands again and is pushed against the cage by Sterling, who finishes the round with a glancing overhand right.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Sterling
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sterling
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Sterling

Round 2
Sterling gets another quick takedown but can’t keep Mizugaki on the mat, and the bantamweights wind up back on the fence in the clinch. Mizugaki throws a couple knees to the body before Sterling releases and backs out to the center. Mizugaki snuffs out a takedown attempt in the middle of the cage and clips Sterling with an overhand right to counter a body kick. Mizugaki is finding his mark with some solid right hands, but it’s all single shots from the WEC veteran. Sterling wraps him up for another takedown halfway through the round; Mizugaki is immediately back on his feet, then dragged back down to the floor, where Sterling jumps on his back. Sterling has one hook in, trying to secure the other, but he’s being blocked by the cage on Mizugaki’s right side. Sterling rips him away from the fence and secures the back-mount with a body triangle, then begins fishing for a rear-naked choke with about 90 seconds on the clock. Sterling spikes Mizugaki’s body with some BJ Penn-style heel strikes, but the shots mostly miss and they cause Sterling to lose the body triangle. He regains the triangle, but now Mizugaki is working two-on-one wrist control to defend the RNC until time runs out.

Sherdog Scores
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Sterling
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Sterling
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Sterling

Round 3
Mizugaki opens the final frame with a left hand to the body and a right upstairs, but the shots only graze as Sterling backpedals away. Sterling shoots a single, gets stuffed and winds up on his knees. He drives forward again and this time uses the single-leg to run Mizugaki up to the fence, then to the ground. Mizugaki gives up his back, and Sterling once again secures the position with a body triangle. Mizugaki twists around to wind up in Sterling’s guard, but Sterling slaps on an arm-triangle choke from underneath. It’s a low-percentage maneuver, but Sterling is in perfect position, squeezing on Mizugaki’s head and right arm until he taps out.

The Official Result
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R3 2:11