Navajo Stirling Targets Dustin Jacoby After Exciting Saturday Win

Navajo Stirling (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was one of five undefeated fighters who appeared on this past Saturday night's UFC Vegas 119 inside Meta Apex. The 2024 graduate of Dana White's Contender Series returned to the venue where he first received his UFC contract a couple of years ago on the night before Father's Day.

Saturday's fight at Meta Apex served as Stirling's 10th fight as a professional and his fifth as a member of the UFC's active roster. Under the spotlight of the co-main event at UFC Vegas 119, Stirling's 10th professional contest was his highest-profile bout to date.

Ion Cutelaba (20-12-1, 1 NC MMA, 9-11-1 UFC) served as Navajo Stirling's adversary inside the fabled Octagon this past Saturday evening in the co-headliner. During the second round of a scheduled three in Enterprise, NV, Stirling brought a violent end to the proceedings, peppering him with a slew of unanswered strikes, forcing referee Kerry Hatley to end the fight.

Navajo Stirling Eyeing Potential Fight with Dustin Jacoby in Future

The victorious Navajo Stirling made his way backstage to press row following the second-round knockout to forecast his future. One possible opponent intrigues Stirling more than any other, Dustin Jacoby (22-9-1 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC.)

Most recently, Jacoby fought on Feb. 7 inside Meta Apex. That evening, he finished Julius Walker (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with punches inside the second round of action. 

"I feel like Jacoby would be a cool matchup," Navajo Stirling said at the podium on press row Saturday night. "He was a GLORY kickboxer. He's very tidy on the feet, a completely different puzzle to solve compared to Ion, who's very aggressive, just looking to get in your face. Jacoby's just a little smarter on his work."

Navajo Stirling Forced to Fight Off Submission Attempts From Cutelaba

Before Stirling scored the knockout win against Ion Cutelaba over the weekend in Enterprise, Cutelaba tested him by trying to lock in a submission. He discussed the challenges his opponent brought to Saturday's fight.

"It put me in some spots I'd never been in before," Stirling commented. "I've never actually been put on the mat before, so it was the first time defending submissions and having to scramble up from my feet from the bottom. It was nice to bank all of that."

In spite of Ion Cutelaba attempting to submit Navajo Stirling, the latter admitted he was never in any danger of going down in defeat on Saturday.

"I thought if I position myself well here, let him squeeze, just keep my fighter's hands, he was eventually going to sort of blow his arms," he recalled. "I just stayed confident in my defense and my training. I dedicate my training and all the time and I listen to them. I was like 'If I just stick on this, I'll eventually get out.'"

Navajo Stirling's Readiness Yields to Successful Gameplan Saturday Night

Stirling also said on press row that he was fully aware that Ion Cutelaba would provide a challenging assignment for him on Saturday night.

"I knew just from his Greco background that he would probably get me dowm," he continued. "I would probably have to work from the bottom and so I was prepared for all of that. He was stronger than I thought, but also he's giving it his all in those positions. He's not really moving as efficient as someone like me would. I was just trying to match that intensity and not let him settle on top and really make him work for it."

"I could feel every time he'd get me down and I'd make him work," he said. "You just feel that disbelief start to creep in and all of that, and so, I just stuck to what I know, my own experience in this fighting game and I'm very good at understanding the pace of a fight."