Navajo Stirling: Mixed Martial Artist ahead talks his success, previews the Arsenal X3 Hybrid Fight Series

Mixed martial artist Navajo Stirling has plenty left in the tank following confirmation of his UFC debut in December. 

The unbeaten light heavyweight will fight Brit Tuco Tokkos in Tampa - with the bout offered shortly after the Kiwi earned a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series last week. 

Stirling joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his recent success and preview the local Arsenal X3 Hybrid Fight Series this weekend. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Twenty two Away from an interesting event happening tonight. At
the event to find You can also stream it on
Combat Sports Network and TV ANDZ Plus. I've got replays
and highlights of it. It's a fight event unlike most
where there are three different fight disciplines all at the
same well at the same time, but round by round

(00:33):
by round. It's happening tonight. It's relatively new and a
character who's been involved in this before, and in fact
he has I think it was last year was I'll
find out now because he joins US Navajos Sterling and
Navajo has just been accepted. He's got a contract to
the UFC after winning a Contender Series fight last week

(00:54):
and he looked fantastic doing so, say his latest city
kickboxing guy to turn up and fight in the UFC.
But part of the build up to that in MMA
has been the Arsenal X series. He joins US now
and never Hope. Now, welcome to the program. I'm right out.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
You've had experience in this, yeah, yeah, So we're talking
about maybe this time last year where I was fighting
on the very first arsenal X rules matches. They were
still holding the arm on the King of the Ring
show and they were just talking about having a full
arsenal X show around the time when I first started

(01:34):
on it, And yes, I knew it was a good
idea because it helps bring the MMA gloves and the
MMA cage and environment to obviously the open public and
the fact that I was on there you know this
time last year and now being in the UFC, it
goes to show like, you know, our guys and all

(01:56):
the people on there, you know, at that calibern in
terms of striking, and it's something to really think like WHOA,
Like we we're very ahead of the game here in
New York.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
So what is it actually the process of this a
number of different martial arts. Us is it pretty similar
to EMMA? What are we actually seeing in this particular
arsenal X competition.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yep. So it's basically it is stripped of the grappling
arts and it's all into basically the striking arts put
into the smaller MMA gloves. So we start off with
a boxing round then slowly moving on to a kickboxing

(02:43):
round where its just punches and kicks and then a
multi tai round which is added in the elbows and
knees and clinch work. However, there is some special moments
where they have the MMA rule sets added in and
it's a it's a really it's like a wild card
of styles being though now and you see some very

(03:04):
interesting interesting bouts and matchups. Stylistically getting a taekwondo guys
that are coming in and they have to deal with
that boxing run. It as a really interesting dynamic, but
it's also very exciting to watch. For the out of
you that we're you know, striking and punching someone is

(03:26):
very familiar, whether sometimes they're grappling, aren't really that familiar
to the open public, which is why I like this
style of rule set.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yep, we got that last week when Melly God has
beans and everyone's like, mate, this is boring. We don't
want to watch guys rolling around on the ground break
and trying to pop each other's heads off, but it's
a very relevant part of a sport. I'm not like that.
But the striking probably more crowd friendly. So how do
the rounds work? They want a couple of minutes boxing
a couple of minutes plakwondo a couple of minutes more

(03:55):
tie How does it actually structure?

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yep, so yeah, pretty much. One. You usually start off
with the first round with just the boxing, so the
most limited skill sets starting off with boxing. Then the
second round goes to the kickboxing, third round muay Thai,
and then the MMA one. It usually goes kickboxing the
first round, muay Thai, second round, and then MMA with
the grappling and the third round.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
So you cover everything off. And so how did you go?
Did a planner? You enjoyed it and you didn't get
your beans?

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (04:27):
You've moved on around? But how important was it for
your career?

Speaker 3 (04:30):
I wanted? Yeah, it was good because I wanted to
show my versatility across three rounds. I managed to get
some big knockdowns. I showcased my my boxing only are
my kickboxing are and then also my tie boxing skills here,
which is the fluency of the elbows and knees. Yeah,

(04:50):
and I felt like I just played a very good
craft of that and it was really high thing for everybody,
and a technical sort of warfare style they could watch,
and also just just the entertainment of being a good
happen seeing guys really put it on the line.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
I've got to talk about UC and how you managed
to get the Dana White's eyes to open to climb
on board. You've got a fight coming up already. This
is something plainly you've been working toward for a very
very long time. You're ready, right You're here and you
know that you can move forward because you've had a
lot of experience. You're hardly a young buck that's just

(05:29):
turned up, not not that year old at twenty six.
But you're ready for this, aren't you.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah, I feel like I've come into they said they're
at a very great age the UFC. There's no room
for failure or you know you can't. It's very hard
to grow in the UFC and be mature. You almost
have to be ready to fight for the bout as
soon as you get there. Everyone in the UFC is legitimate,

(05:53):
from the lower very lowest ranks to the highest. And
I feel like now right now with my age and
they're time for growth in the sport, it's just coming perfectly.
Everything has lined up perfectly, and I still have plenty
more to give to the sport.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
And you've got a powerhouse behind you in all of
your fellow athletes from Citi Keck Boxing. Of course your
training as well, so if anyone's been prepped for this,
that's you.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Right, Yes, most definitely.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Simple question, simple answer, Yes, Thank you very much. Never
host Sterling.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk SETV on Saturday mornings, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio