Ion Cutelaba vs. Navajo Stirling prediction for UFC Fight Night 279

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June 20, 2026

On June 20, 2026

Ion Cutelaba and Navajo Stirling meet in the UFC Fight Night 279 co-main event Saturday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event’s results: 5-2
UFC main cards, 2026: 60-35-1

Ion Cutelaba vs. Navajo Stirling UFC Fight Night 279 preview

Cutelaba (20-11-1 MMA, 9-10-1 UFC) will look to keep the momentum alive after a first-round submission of Oumar Sy in March. “The Hulk” has won three of his last five.

Stirling (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) looks to remain undefeated as he enters his second fight of the year. His last outing was a second-round finish of Bruno Lopes in March.

Ion Cutelaba vs. Navajo Stirling UFC Fight Night 279 expert pick, prediction

The co-main event for UFC Fight Night 279 is a light heavyweight showdown between Ion Cutelaba and Navajo Stirling.

Cutelaba is coming off a classic veteran lesson win over Oumar Sy and will be looking to deal out a similar fate to Stirling.

It’s still too hard to be too confident in forecasting Stirling’s ceiling, but the New Zealander appears to have all the needed parts to find success in this division. That said, light heavyweight is ultimately a weight class full of potential glass cannons (as the fights at 205 pounds tend to play out like broadside ship warfare from the 17th century).

Should Stirling collapse under the pressure that Cutelaba brings inside the small cage, then another upset win for the Moldovan should surprise no one. However, as someone with some faith in Stirling, I suspect that he can weather Cutelaba’s early storm and find a finish in Round 2.