‘The Hulk’ Rises in Las Vegas to Beatdown Navajo Stirling at the Meta APEX
The theaters have presented a green monster that has dominated the gilded screen worldwide. Now, the UFC brings a similar monster in the form of Ion Cutelaba. This monster hails from the men’s Lightweight Division, as does his opponent, Navajo Stirling. Unlike Stirling, who is 28 years old, Cutelaba is nicknamed ‘The Hulk’ and is 32 years old. However, whether the older fighter is actually going to beat down the younger fighter will be a question raised during this fight. A fight that is taking place just before the headline fight at the Meta APEX, which consists of a younger fighter facing an older fighter as well.
Age has been somewhat of a denominator when deciding who will win a fight since the first form of combat sports began. The age of Stirling is just 28 years old. He is the younger fighter when compared to his opponent. He is also known for having almost all of his wins being knockouts, with a record of 9-0-0. Apart from that, his career record shows he’s been fighting in the UFC since 2024. He does aspire to more within the sport itself by demonstrating he lands 6.25 strikes per minute and has only absorbed 2.67 strikes per minute.
‘The Hulk’ being the older opponent still shows promise against the more favorable statistics of his 28-year-old competitor. His record sits at 20-11-1. He is the more experienced fighter and has even done 3.76 more takedowns per 15 minutes. He shows the more likely promise of actually securing a takedown and executing a submission in this particular fight. As far as landing and avoiding strikes, though, it may be safe to say that it will be difficult due to Stirling’s striking strategies.
Current statistics show that Stirling will win this fight by a decision. This is a definite possibility because of how he has executed his previous fights, with most being knockout finishes. Two of these victories even came in the form of first-round finishes. His older 32-year-old opponent could snag a win by letting him get in close for a takedown, such as a hip heist. Although that would put ‘The Hulk’ in a position where he would take any well-placed strikes.
Statistics are numbers at the end of anyone’s day, but in this case, it will be safe to say they will hold true. It is not an age issue that will determine the winner either. Instead, it is more of a question of technique and how the techniques will be employed. Here, the young 28-year-old fighter will be victorious because he will anticipate the strikes made by the older 32-year-old fighter. He will also have the increased reach that will keep him at a distance, but the only distance separating fans from watching this matchup will be to stream it live on Paramount+ at 8:00 p.m. EDT!
