Navajo Sterling and Tuco Toccos at UFC Tampa ceremonial weigh-in at Amalie Arena, December 13, 2024 Credit: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Undefeated light heavyweight and 2024 DWCS winner Navajo Sterling made his promotional debut on Saturday at UFC Tampa in a pairing with Tuco Toccos.
Tokkos was aiming for his first win in the promotion game after making a sudden appearance in the previous game. He trained at Florida’s famous Kill Cliff FC, while Stirling was representing New Zealand’s City Kickboxing, another top camp.
The first round kicked off with Sterling taking the center cage. Tokkos tried many feints to keep Sterling guessing, but he continued to cut the cage. Both men start the match with hard kicks, attacking the legs and body. Sterling has become more efficient with his leg kicks and has gotten better at landing with his hands. It was almost a chess match until the middle. The pace picked up as Stirling went to the body, rounding Tokkos and throwing a fluff. Stirling harried Tokkos with pressure, bodywork and more power. Tokkos fought the entire round on his back foot, surviving the round but appearing defeated.
In the second round, Tucos put more pressure on him. He then landed a quick takedown, pinning Sterling against the cage. Sterling was about to be backed up by Tokkos, but he managed to escape. When he did, Sterling landed a ton of knees and elbows, and Toccos paid the price for his brief success. When the match returns to the outside, Sterling will let go of the kick. He pushed Tokkos against the cage and landed a nasty uppercut to clinch Tokkos. Tokkos wrapped his arms around his waist and quickly got a takedown. Sterling wrestled to his knees as Tokkos threatened a front headlock. Just when it looked like Tokkos would gain better position, Sterling ended the round with a sweep.
Going into the final round, it was clear that Tokkos needed a finish. It started with Tokkos landing a combination to the body head. Throughout the fight Sterling attacked the body, which was definitely a factor in the fight. However, Sterling was visibly gassed and struggled against the cage against Toccos. When Sterling was in control of the clinch, he landed some big knees, but Toccos was stronger in that position. Sterling was landing kicks to the body as he picked up the pace, and Toccos was clearly not a fan. At the last moment, Starling inflicted great pain on Tokkos’ body. Tokkos survived the battle by curling up into a ball and clinging to his legs.
Navajo Sterling def. Tuco Toccos unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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