'New Adesanya', Navajo Stirling maintains his undefeated record and confirms his status as favorite at UFC Tampa . Photo: Reproduction/Twitter/UFC News
UFC Tampa , held this Saturday (14), marked the closing of the organization's 2024 season, but the confrontation between Navajo Stirling and Tuco Tokkos, which opened the main card, was not a great highlight of the night. Although the New Zealander won against the 'almost Brazilian' by unanimous decision, the performance inside the octagon left something to be desired, with highs and lows throughout the fight.
Navajo Stirling has an undefeated record of six wins, most notably his victory in the Contender Series, the event where he earned his spot in the UFC. The New Zealander trains under Israel Adesanya and has shown promise, despite his difficulties in the fight against Tokkos.
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Tuco Tokkos, in turn, is 30 years old and has a record of 10 wins and 5 losses. The Brazilian fighter, son of a Brazilian mother and a British father, is still trying to establish himself in the organization.
Adesanya's friend Navajo Stirling wins UFC Tampa to maintain unbeaten streak
Stirling, considered one of Israel Adesanya 's protégés , entered the fight with a fast-paced strategy, relying on low kicks and quick attacks to pressure Tokkos. In the first round, the New Zealander showed superiority, dominating the fight with precise strikes that forced his opponent to retreat.
Tuco, visibly uncomfortable, seemed to be trying to find the time to end the round, looking at his watch every few moments. Stirling's control was clear, and the Tampa crowd followed the sequence of blows, with the New Zealander's victory looking increasingly imminent.
In the second round, Tokkos tried to adjust his approach, focusing on takedowns to take the fight to the ground. However, Stirling proved competent in defending himself, escaping from the positions and remaining on his feet, where he continued to have a slight advantage. Despite Tokkos' attempts, who had some success on the ground, the son of a Brazilian was unable to turn the game around and regain Navajo's superiority.
The third and final round was marked by fatigue on the part of both fighters, who were no longer able to maintain the frenetic pace of the previous rounds. Stirling's performance was not as impressive as at the beginning of the fight, but he still managed to be more effective in the exchanges of blows. The crowd, impatient with the fatigue of both fighters, even booed the fight at times, and the fight ended with the judges declaring Stirling the winner by unanimous decision, sealing his sixth consecutive victory in his career.
Stirling is compared to Adesanya and has the former champion's approval
In addition to the positive result, Stirling continues to be compared to former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya , with whom he trains at City Kickboxing. Both have similar styles, and Adesanya has stated in the past that his training partner is 'better' than him and that his potential will be proven within the organization.
“Everything he said he wanted to do, he did spectacularly. We are similar because we train in the same gym, and we are both tall. He really learned a lot from us, not just me,” Adesanya said.
In a deeper assessment, Adesanya even admitted that he believes Stirling is better than him and that, with time, the 26-year-old fighter will demonstrate his true potential.
“Navajo is his own beast, you’ll see his own style shine through. If you think he’s like me now, I think he’s better than me. He’s evolved into the next version, thanks to his fighting intelligence, which he uses very well, whereas I, in my time, maybe didn’t explore it as much as he did,” Adesanya added.
Check out all the results from UFC Tampa
MAIN CARD
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Joaquin Buckley defeated Colby Covington by technical knockout (medical stoppage) at 4:42 of round 3.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Cub Swanson defeated Billy Quarantillo at 1:35 of Round 3.
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Manel Kape defeated Bruno Bulldoguinho by technical knockout at 1:57 of round 3.
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Dustin Jacoby defeated Vitor Petrino by knockout at 3:44 of round 3.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Daniel Marcos defeated Adrian Yanez by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Navajo Stirling defeated George Tokkos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Michael Johnson defeated Ottman Azaitar by knockout at 2:3 of round 2.
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Joel Alvarez defeated Drakkar Klose by knockout at 2:48 of round 1.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Sean Woodson defeated Fernando Padilla by technical knockout at 4:58 of round 1.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Felipe Lima defeated Miles Johns by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Miranda Maverick defeated Jamey-Lyn Horth by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Davey Grant defeated Ramon Taveras by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Piera Rodriguez defeated Josefine Knutsson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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