A new wave of talent from CKB (City Kickboxing) is making its presence known in the MMA world and Navajo Stirling is shining bright as a star to keep your eye on! The New Zealand gym is known for producing names like Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France, but the old guard isn’t the only story. Stirling, a 6’4 powerhouse burst onto the UFC scene with a thunderous knockout victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. His performance left no doubt about his chances in the big leagues.
As former UFC middleweight champion Adesanya put it on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) MMA show episode no. 164, “He’s just a f– savant, the next level – a kickboxer, but knows how to grapple.” High praise from a man who knows greatness when he sees it. But who is Navajo Stirling? Where is he from, and how did he find his way into the Octagon?
Where is Navajo Stirling from?
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Rongotehengia Navajo Hunter Stirling was born on November 7, 1997, and hails from New Zealand. During an interview on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel, Stirling revealed, “I’m 27 years old, I grew up in Upper Hutt, Wellington New Zealand, so the capital of New Zealand.” While there is no information available about his Maori roots at the time of writing, growing up in Upper Hutt was a unique experience. Why? As Stirling explained in the interview, there wasn’t a martial arts culture in his hometown.
But the UFC came onto his radar with the arrival of ‘The Notorious’. Stirling further shared, “I kind of just saw Conor McGregor on the TV and thought, man, I’ve never heard anyone speak like that before and chase their dreams, brought themselves from nothing. So, I decided to take that route as well.”
So, without any combat sports background, Navajo Stirling took aim at the UFC as his ultimate goal and began working towards it when he was just 19 years old. And even though McGregor sparked his interest in pursuing the life of a fighter, it was his CKB teammate, Israel Adesanya who he tried to emulate early on in his career.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@freestylebender)
In the aforementioned interview, Stirling stated, “When I grew up, when I didn’t know anything about fighting, I grew up watching Israel Adesanya [for] a long time, before he even knew me… I was stealing all of his moves; I took as many moves as I could from all of the fights that I could watch.”
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Now, as he trains at CKB, the gym that turned ‘The Last Stylebender’ into an MMA champion, Navajo Stirling’s environment has shaped him into a dangerous competitor, primed to make waves in the UFC light heavyweight division. But it’s not just his physical prowess that sets him apart—it’s his mindset to absorb the best from everyone around him to level up constantly.
How did Navajo Stirling start fighting?
Navajo Stirling’s journey into fighting began at 19—a late start by many standards. But what he lacked in time, he made up for with unrelenting dedication. He mentioned in his UFC.com interview that he started fighting because he “had no direction in life”. And so, kickboxing and Muay Thai became his foundations, and his striking prowess quickly outclassed his peers.
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In just eight years, Stirling has accumulated accolades that many fighters can only dream of. Two King in the Ring titles, a WKBF World Kickboxing belt, and MMA championships under Shuriken and Hex highlight his resume. It’s not just the titles—it’s how he won them. The New Zealand native’s striking precision is surgical, having finished his last four opponents with jaw-dropping knockouts.
Now, at UFC Tampa/UFC On ESPN 63, Navajo Stirling will make the walk out to the Octagon for the first time to take on Tuco Tokkos. The bout is slated to be the main card opener and the stage is set for fireworks! Stirling’s arsenal of power, accuracy, and size makes him a formidable challenge and at just 27 years old, he’s entering his physical prime, armed with a skill set honed by some of the best in the game. Do you think Navajo Stirling is the next wave of elite UFC light heavyweights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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