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Another assignment, another opportunity to add to the highlights reel.
For rising Kiwi UFC star Navajo Stirling, the plan for the rest of 2025 is as simple as that.
The 27-year-old undefeated light heavyweight (7-0) will make his return to the octagon in September, taking on Brazilian Rodolfo Bellato (12-2-1)in the UFC’s return to Perth.
In what will be his third fight since earning a contract with the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion in emphatic fashion in 2024, the match-up is another step in the right direction for the talented fighter.
Be that as it may, as far as his short-term goals in the promotion go, one thing stands above the thought of where he hopes to find himself by the year’s end.
“I’m really just trying to build a highlight reel, to be honest,” Stirling told the Herald.
Navajo Stirling will look to continue his winning ways when the UFC returns Downunder in September. Photo / Getty Images
“I don’t really have much of one because I haven’t had that many fights. I just want to show everyone I’m a sound competitor.
“Whether I blow through the next two guys that I’m fighting – I want to fight twice before the year ends – maybe they might look at getting me a ranked fight after that, I don’t know. I really don’t know and I don’t care ... I just want to do my talking through the fighting and raise my experience.
“What I want do is just fight all the time, keep fighting. If they push me up for a ranked spot, then so be it. If they want to throw me against a top prodigy, that is what it is. I’m just focused on being ready for whoever.”
Through each fight, Stirling has been building to bigger challenges. In his debut against Englishman Tuco Tokkos, Stirling was hardly troubled as he claimed a lopsided decision win.
In his most recent outing against highly touted Croatian Ivan Erslan, however, he took home some valuable lessons after admittedly being in trouble early on, before bouncing back to almost finish the fight but get the win by decision.
“He didn’t really have like a wide game, but he was very sharp at what he did,” Stirling said. “He had a very strong boxing [game] and he kind of hurt me early.
“I wasn’t really ready off the bat [and he] just rocked me a little from the start. I had to dip into the bag a little and stay composed and bring myself back to the fight.
“Then I knew coming into the third, I managed to pour it on him. But those are good building fights for me just to gain some experience. He had like, three times the amount of fights I had, against better competition.
Stirling said “it was a little unfortunate” Erslan was handed the match-up, given it was only his second fight in the UFC – “but I think that guy will probably chin quite a few dudes, in the top 15 as well”.
In Bellato, Stirling meets what he deemed a “kill-or-be-killed” athlete who will be willing to step into the fire with his opponent to see who melts first.
In 12 wins, the Brazilian has seven knockouts and four submissions, but has had a weird start to life in the UFC.
In five bookings, he has a win, a draw and a no contest, while he was forced to withdraw from the other two because of injury and illness.
His most recent bout against Scotsman Paul Craig ended in bizarre fashion and was ruled a no contest after Craig was ruled to have landed an illegal kick and Bellato was unable to continue.
“Yeah, I just didn’t know what the point in that was. I just thought he was going to easily cruise through Paul Craig,” Stirling said.
“He looked like a little bit more comfortable on the feet, maybe he just thought it was going to be an easier win and then getting the no contest, he really just robbed everyone of a fight, even himself.
“I just thought that was an interesting choice. No one really liked that, but I’ll probably give him a better chance to throw down with.”
Confirmed bouts for UFC Perth
Light heavyweight: Navajo Stirling v Rodolfo Bellato
