TAMPA, Fla. – His promotional debut might not have been the big splash he was looking for, but Navajo Stirling 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.
