Navajo Stirling and Tuco Tokkos meet in the UFC on Saturday in the ESPN 63 main card opener at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Check out this quick breakdown of the match from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

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Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokko’s UFC previewed on ESPN 63

Stirling (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut in an opening main card slot. The Dana White’s Contender Series newcomer won his “interview” by stopping Phillip Latu with a vicious left hook in the second round. In five professional fights, Stirling has only reached the judges’ points list once. … Tokkos (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is looking to secure his first UFC win while potentially securing his spot on the roster. In his debut in May, Tokkos was submitted in the first round by Oumar Sy. Two consecutive first-round victories on the regional scene led to his entry into the UFC.

Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 Expert Picks, Prediction

Although there are plenty of surefire action fights in the featherweight and lightweight divisions that get stuck in the prelims, UFC matchmakers can’t help themselves when it comes to the big boys, with Stirling and Tokkos taking the vaunted opening spot on the main card (and Yes). , card placement matters, folks).

To the matchmaker’s credit, this fight is likely to have a decisive outcome given the booking.

In fact, after Stirling’s win on the final season of Dana White’s Contender Series, I called for this exact booking in my winners review column.

Stirling impressed me in this fight, so it’s no surprise that the City Kickboxing product is favored here. Tokkos may have a slight edge on the court, but I don’t think his wrestling is good enough to overcome Stirling’s clinch and defensive fundamentals.

The pick is Stirling by knockout in the second round.

Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos UFC on ESPN 63 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the undefeated debut fighter, calling Stirling -720 and Tokkos +520 via FanDuel.

Daniel Marcos vs. Adrian Yanez UFC on ESPN 63 start time, how to watch

Stirling and Tokkos are expected to head to the cage as main card openers around 10:10 a.m. ET. The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.