His promotional debut might not have been the big splash he was looking for, but Navajo Stirling will find the silver lining.
TAMPA, Fla. – His promotional debut might not have been the big splash he was looking for, but [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] will find the silver lining.
Stirling (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) opened up the main card at UFC on ESPN 63 this past Saturday with a unanimous decision win over Tuco Tokkos (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The City Kickboxing product from Australia no doubt would have preferred a highlight-reel finish, but also got some key experience.
“It was good to go 15 minutes for my development and cage time just to show people what I’ve got,” Stirling, who has trained with the likes of Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Alexander Volkanovski. “I think we were just too eager to hunt for the finish, and I kind of felt like he was in there to survive. I didn’t feel like he was really trying to win. I think he was trying to hold on.
“He was just trying to stay alive in there, and I think he probably believed the hype a little bit. He’s probably going to be happy with his performance that he got out safe and alive. I didn’t get to finish in front of the fans like I wanted for the big debut on the main card, but it’s all good.”
Stirling got to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in September. He turned 27 in November, and now that his UFC debut is in the books with a win, he can start thinking about his first full year in the promotion.
He was a massive 9-1 favorite against Tokkos, but now wants to show some things that will put a little fear into the light heavyweight division.
“I would like to fight at least three (times), minimum, (in 2025),” Stirling said. “It’s all about just keeping the injuries off me, staying healthy. That’s my goal every year, is being in the gym as much as I can. The more time you have spent on the mats, the better you become – you don’t lose that flow. … I want to fight through my prime and use my youthful years to get as many fights as possible and to make myself relevant that way rather than just talk. I think you can talk (by) beating everyone up.”
Check out Stirling’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.
With 2024 a wrap for the UFC, see a breakdown of how much money was paid under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 63 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $208,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 63 took place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 63 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,630; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-63 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC on ESPN 63: Covington vs. Buckley” – $208,500
Check out these photos highlighting Navajo Stirling’s unanimous decision win over Tuco Tokkos at UFC on ESPN 63.
Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 63 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Photos by Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
Oddsmakers expect Navajo Stirling to shine in his debut at UFC Tampa, but does Tuco Tokkos have a path to victory?
[autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] and [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag] meet Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 63 main card opener at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-2 UFC main cards, 2024: 107-93-3
Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 preview
Stirling (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut in a main card opening slot. The Dana White’s Contender Series signee won his “job interview” by stopping Phillip Latu in the second round with a vicious left hook. In five pro fights, Stirling has only reached the judges scorecards once. … Tokkos (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will aim to secure his first UFC victory while potentially saving his spot on the roster. In his May debut, Tokkos was submitted in the first round by Oumar Sy. Back-to-back first-round wins on the regional scene led to his entrance into the UFC.
Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 expert pick, prediction
Despite having a slew of surefire action fights at featherweight and lightweight that are stuck on the prelims, the UFC matchmakers can’t help themselves when it comes to the big boys, as Stirling and Tokkos get the vaunted main-card opener spot (and yes, card placement does matter, folks).
To the matchmaker’s credit, this fight should see a decisive finish given how it’s booked.
In fact, I called for this exact booking in my grading the winners column after Stirling’s win on last season of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Stirling impressed me in that fight, so it’s no shock to see the City Kickboxing product favored here. Tokkos may have a slight on-paper edge on the floor, but I don’t think his wrestling is good enough to get past Stirling’s clinch and defensive fundamentals.
The pick is Stirling by second-round knockout.
Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the undefeated debuting fighter, listing Stirling -720 and Tokkos +520 via FanDuel.
Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez UFC on ESPN 63 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Stirling and Tokkos are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 a.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.
City Kickboxing fighter Navajo Stirling is ready for the UFC stage after a big knockout win at Dana White’s Contender Series 71.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] is ready for the big stage after Dana White’s Contender Series 71. Stirling (5-0) knocked out Phillip Latu (6-2) with a thunderous left hand Tuesday in their light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex to earn a UFC contract.
City Kickboxing’s Stirling said nerves were a non-factor, and he felt right where he belonged in the octagon.
“It’s all a part of my dream that’s going as I planned it,” Stirling told MMA Junkie and other reporters Tuesday at a post-fight news conference. “I feel like I’m meant to be here.
“For me, it’s like, finally I could do what I signed up for, I can fight people. Opportunity runs thin where I’m from, so now that I get to be in the big league and fight all the top guys is just like finally, now my dream can commence.”
Stirling competed for the third time in just four months. He never had a doubt that he would deliver in the biggest moment of his career.
“I’ve been talking my game up for so long, I was inviting as much pressure as possible,” Stirling said. “I know where I’m headed, so I was just trying to take on as much pressure as a person possibly can, and I just go through and cook these boys.”
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 71.
Week 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Summary: Setting the tone for the night was a fun one-round scrap between [autotag]Nicolle Caliari[/autotag] and Corinne LaFrambiose.
Despite coming from a traditional martial arts base, Caliari proved that she could compete with the superior submission grappler in her world.
LaFrambriose, as advertised, showed a lot of her submission swagger in exchanges, utilizing her aggressive attacks to create scrambles and so on. That said, LaFrambriose’s aggression ultimately ended up costing her by allowing Caliari to get too deep on an armbar attempt.
We didn’t get to see too much of Caliari on the feet, but her karate-style combos were reminiscent of a more raw version of Tecia Pennington (which isn’t a bad thing as a fan of that style).
I’m not surprised to see Dana White sign Caliari given the traditional recruitment trends of the show. For my money, I expect to see the UFC brass match up Caliari with someone like Ernesta Kareckaite or Brogan Walker on an upcoming international card.
Summary: Although it was an ultra-competitive fight between [autotag]Josias Musasa[/autotag] and Otar Tanzilovi, I agree with Musasa getting both the win and the UFC contract.
Tanzilovi, who is also arguably UFC-ready, displayed a slew of well-rounded skills that are practically prerequisites at bantamweight. Still, it was also clear that the Georgian is much more effective when allowed space to work with.
Seemingly knowing this, Musasa applied the correct gameplan and approach regarding the constant pressure he was putting Tanzilovi under. And though Musasa has seldom been past the first frame in prior fights, the Congolese competitor showed a level of measuredness in the aggression he was applying, smartly mixing bodywork into the equation.
Even when taken down, Musasa demonstrated a serviceable understanding of counter wrestling, correctly using tools that ranged from underhooks to the assistance of the cage. I’m on the same page as Dana White when it comes to seeing something in Musasa, so I’m happy to see the native of the Congo get a shot in the octagon.
I suspect that we’ll see Musasa paired up with someone like Quang Li or Angel Pacheco for his first UFC assignment.
Summary: Despite being able to get the finish, I had a hard time getting to a B for [autotag]Yousri Belgaroui[/autotag] given both the lackluster fight with Taiga Isakawa and the context surrounding it.
In what looked like your classic Pride Fighting Championships setup fight, Isakawa was an undersized Japanese middleweight taking this fight on short notice. And though the oddsmakers and public projected a more decisive and clean performance from Belgaroui as a huge favorite, the former Glory kickboxer quickly found himself in a sloppy foul fest opposite a deceptively durable foe.
I eventually lost track of the number of eye pokes, but thankfully, referee Kerry Hatley mercifully took a point after the third or fourth infraction (something you sadly seldom see MMA refs do these days).
Although I was somewhat surprised White declined to sign Beglaroui on his second swing at bat, I can’t blame him for coming away deflated from a fight that was ultimately a gift in disguise.
Should Beglaroui still have the taste for this sort of audition process, then I’d love to see him get a third shot at a contract opposite another Contender Series veteran who is in the same position: Torrez Finney.
Summary: Earning an A for closing the show in style is [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag], who emphatically finished Phillip Latu in Round 2.
Latu, who has a natural aptitude for fighting, came out fairly strong and landed some solid counters that got the respect and attention of Stirling. However, Stirling was able to keep calm and composed while steadily finding his flow in the fight.
By the second frame, Stirling started to show the classic City Kickboxing striking setups and shot selections – all while Latu was appearing to fade. Latu’s corner called for him to stay in position to fire back, but it led to a hooking trade that benefited the more grounded fighter in Stirling.
I really felt for Latu, given his background, and I hope he gets another shot on the Contender Series down the road.
As for Stirling, it’s probably a safe bet we’ll see him on the next card that features either Dan Hooker or Carlos Ulberg, given how that camp seems to book their action. I just hope they try not to rush Stirling and match him up with someone like Tuco Tokkos.
Navajo Stirling reminded a lot of viewers of his UFC teammate Israel Adesanya.
Is another star emerging out of City Kickboxing?
[autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] took one step closer Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 71 when he slept opponent [autotag]Phillip Latu[/autotag] with a big left hand in the event’s headlining bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The stoppage came at 2:21 of Round 2.
Stirling (5-0) was offered a UFC contract from Dana White minutes later.
