Navajo Stirling and Tuco Tokkos meet Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 63 main card opener at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 preview
Stirling (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut in a main card opening slot. The Dana White’s Contender Series signee won his “job interview” by stopping Phillip Latu in the second round with a vicious left hook. In five pro fights, Stirling has only reached the judges scorecards once. … Tokkos (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will aim to secure his first UFC victory while potentially saving his spot on the roster. In his May debut, Tokkos was submitted in the first round by Oumar Sy. Back-to-back first-round wins on the regional scene led to his entrance into the UFC.
Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 expert pick, prediction
Despite having a slew of surefire action fights at featherweight and lightweight that are stuck on the prelims, the UFC matchmakers can’t help themselves when it comes to the big boys, as Stirling and Tokkos get the vaunted main-card opener spot (and yes, card placement does matter, folks).
To the matchmaker’s credit, this fight should see a decisive finish given how it’s booked.
In fact, I called for this exact booking in my grading the winners column after Stirling’s win on last season of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Stirling impressed me in that fight, so it’s no shock to see the City Kickboxing product favored here. Tokkos may have a slight on-paper edge on the floor, but I don’t think his wrestling is good enough to get past Stirling’s clinch and defensive fundamentals.
The pick is Stirling by second-round knockout.
Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the undefeated debuting fighter, listing Stirling -720 and Tokkos +520 via FanDuel.
Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez UFC on ESPN 63 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Stirling and Tokkos are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 a.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.
