Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Navajo Stirling looked to continue his rise up the 205lb division when he faced Rodolfo Bellato at UFC Perth.
Bellato was looking to douse the flames still smoldering from the firestorm of controversy that enveloped him following his last outing, a No Contest opposite Paul Craig. Many fans had pointed the finger at Bellato, accusing him of faking the effects of an illegal blow that had taken him out of the bout prematurely.
Perhaps wary of Stirling’s power, Bellato took the fight to the fence early, tying things up and seeking a takedown without much success. Stirling would eventually reverse, peppering Bellato with shots both before and after taking the dominant position. The pair then got off the fence, three minutes still on the clock, with Bellato firing a front kick, and Stirling a right hand.
The pair would continue to slug it out on the feet a little longer before Bellato again tied things up with just over a minute remaining. When they came out of that clinch, there was a brief firefight to close out the round.
Navajo Stirling landed a takedown early in round two, flipping the script. While not the most active on top and warned by the ref to keep working, Stirling was still showing a well-rounded game for a fighter with under 10 pro bouts. Stirling would ride out that position until the final minute of the frame; back on the face, Bellato walked forward, but Stirling met him with knees and kicks to the body. Bellato then landed a right hand, ripped the body with a left, then went upstairs.
Round three found Bellato coming out and putting the pressure on Stirling early on. Stirling in turn ripped the body, then both men changed levels simultaneously, cancelling each other out. Bellato would again tie things up against the cage, though they would not stay there long. At least not initially. They would end up clinching again, however, with Bellato trying to take the back while Stirling was on one knee. Navajo would escape, and later on they’d both fan on spinning attacks. Stirling the landed a right, and Bellato a jab, towards the final horn.
It was Navajo Stirling taking the victory after 15 minutes, improving to 8-0.
“Ibo Aslan, I think you’re f*cking dogsh*t,” Stirling said in a post-fight callout, referring to his originally scheduled opponent. “Let’s run it!”
Official Result: Navajo Stirling def. Rodolfo Bellato by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
