Bryan Caraway upsets Aljamain Sterling with split decision victory

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - JUNE 07: Bryan Caraway reacts after his submission victory over Erik Perez in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Tingley Coliseum on June 7, 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Bryan Caraway walked into UFC Fight Night on Sunday as one of the biggest underdogs on the entire card, but none of that seemed to matter to him as he pulled off an upset split decision victory over previously undefeated prospect Aljamain Sterling.

Sterling had been calling out Caraway for months trying to land the fight with the former "Ultimate Fighter" contestant and he was finally granted his wish after inking a new long term contract with the UFC earlier this year.

Caraway promised to make Sterling regret asking for the fight, although in the early going it looked like "The Funkmaster" was going to live up to his early prediction for a dominant win.

Sterling wasted no time taking Caraway to the mat and looking to lock on a rear naked choke early in round one. Sterling locked on a body triangle and constantly fished for submissions, though Caraway did a good job to avoid any of his opponent's attempts.

Round two saw a dramatic shift in momentum as Caraway came out looking fresh while Sterling was much slower out of the gate. Caraway took advantage by putting sterling on the ground and maintaining his control throughout all five minutes.

The third round saw much of the same as Caraway took Sterling to the mat on two different occasions, constantly adding pressure while Sterling could only play defense.

When it was over, Caraway stood tall and held his hands high in victory and the judges agreed with a split decision in his favor to hand Sterling the first loss of his professional career.

"This is a warning to the bantamweight division -- I'm coming for that belt and I'm the underdog in every single fight but I keep winning," Caraway said after the win. "So all you haters, you can keep doubting me but eventually you're going to have to deal with me and recognize my talent."