Updated June 20, 2026, 10:58 p.m. ET

Navajo Stirling kept his undefeated record intact by taking out a tough-to-finish veteran.

In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 279, Stirling (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) met Ion Cutelaba in a light heavyweight clash. He had to work for it, but the unbeaten New Zealand fighter found a finish at 3:23 of Round 2.

Cutelaba (20-12-1 MMA, 9-11-1 UFC) brought the fight to Stirling from the start. He locked in a very tight guillotine choke, dragging Stirling all over the octagon on the feet, and then took it to the ground. All throughout, Stirling stayed calm and worked his way out. Once Stirling created space on the feet, he began damaging Cutelaba with body shots in the first round.

The fight reached the second round, and Cutelaba provided more resistance, but it wouldn’t last. Stirling reversed his way out of a grappling position, and as Cutelaba remained on the canvas, Stirling stood over him and unleashed punches until the referee stopped the action.

“I told everyone that I was the next big thing; they all thought I wasn’t sh*t, man,” Stirling told Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview. “They can come fraud check these nuts, ’cause I’m the f*cking real deal.”

Stirling picks up his fifth win under the UFC banner and his second finish – both of which have come this year.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 279 results:Navajo Stirling def. Ion Cutelaba via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:23Christian Rodriguez def. Hyder Amil via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:43Murtazali Magomedov def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via submission (twister) – Round 1, 1:17Vinicius Oliveira def. Andre Fili via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:56Kevin Borjas def. Andre Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)Bia Mesquita def. Melissa Mullins via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:16Mitch Raposo def. Allan Nascimento via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)Gaston Bolanos def. Michael Aswell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Levan Chokheli def. Leon Shahbazyan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:23Luana Santos def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Shane Collins def. Otari Tanzilovi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)