On the latest episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, City Kickboxing saw it’s eleventh fighter get signed to the UFC roster.
Navajo Stirling came into the UFC Apex with an undefeated MMA record after making the transition from being a professional kickboxer.
After a strong opening round against Phillip Latu, the Kiwi fighter found the finish in the second round with a perfect one-punch counter knockout that earned him a contract.
Given their backgrounds, physiques and home gym, there was always going to be comparisons drawn between Stirling and his teammate, Israel Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya Says Teammate Navajo Stirling Is The Evolved Version Of Him
Though Adesanya knew that people were going to compare Stirling to his game, “The Last Stylebender” says that it’s not that simple.
Both men are very technical strikers that use their range and accuracy to pick opponents apart, which is what Stirling did earlier this week.
However, Adesanya believes there’s a clear difference between them as he referred to his teammate as the evolved version of himself in a recent YouTube video.
In his Contender Series fight, Stirling looked to showcase some of his grappling skills in the first round and though he was unsuccessful at securing the takedown, it demonstrated his willingness to compete in all ranges.
The former two-time UFC middleweight champion said that this is what separates the two of them.
“Navajo is his own beast and you’ll see his own style show. If you think he’s like me now, I think he’s better than me like he’s evolved like the next version because of his grappling intelligence as well, which I have but I just don’t use them but he actually uses it and yeah. Maybe because he’s young, 26, skilled.”
