Navajo Stirling defeats Ion Cutelaba by TKO at UFC Vegas 119

Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Navajo Stirling remained perfect in his professional career, earning a second-round TKO victory over veteran Ion Cutelaba in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The win at the UFC Apex improved Stirling's record to 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the UFC.

The fight, however, was not without significant early adversity for the 28-year-old New Zealander. Cutelaba, known for his aggressive style, pressed the action from the start and caught Stirling in a standing guillotine choke in the opening round, eventually dragging the fight to the ground. Stirling later said he had never been in such a dangerous position in a fight before but managed to work his way free.

"I had me in some bad positions. I really had to work out of it," Stirling said in a post-fight interview. "It was like a good finishing moment, and also more rounds in the bank, more experience in those bad positions to work out of mentally."

The contest remained competitive into the second round. After a grappling exchange, Stirling reversed position and took top control against the cage. From there, he unleashed a sustained barrage of punches and elbows on a...