Stirling Defends Cutelaba After Liver Shot Finish

Navajo Stirling says Ion Cutelaba did not quit after their second-round finish earlier this month.

Stirling reversed a takedown and landed a flurry of punches on a seated Cutelaba to stop the Moldovan, but the undefeated Kiwi told Sherdog that the finish was set up by a knee to the liver he landed just before the takedown. Cutelaba let out a loud gasp two seconds after securing the hold, Stirling said, and his body went limp. "I sunk this left knee to the body right before the last takedown and hit him flush in the liver," Stirling explained in the interview. "And he finished the takedown; he locked in a squeeze. And I've got a lot of body shot finishes, so I know the delayed reaction that you get."

What The Liver Shot Did To Cutelaba

Stirling said he recognized the delayed reaction immediately and rushed to finish once Cutelaba's grip failed. "I knew I didn't need to control him anymore; I could just push him, get him out of there, because he was done," he said. "And you know, the guy didn't give up. If I sink a left knee to your liver, you're not gonna be able to move."

Stirling, now 10-0, faces former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz on Aug. 1 at UFC Belgrade. He took the bout on less than three weeks' notice after Blachowicz's original opponent was rebooked for UFC Abu Dhabi. The turnaround is 40 days from the Cutelaba stoppage.

Original reporting:

• sherdog.com — Navajo Stirling says Ion Cutelaba didn’t quit after UFC finish