Veteran UFC light heavyweight fighter Ion Cutelaba released a statement following his TKO loss to Navajo Stirling at UFC Vegas 119.

After winning the first round of the fight with superior grappling, Cutelaba fatigued in the second round, and Stirling took over, eventually scoring the TKO finish when Cutelaba could not intelligently defend himself.

Ion Cutelaba Release Statement Following TKO Loss at UFC Vegas 119

Taking to his social media the day after the fight, Cutelaba issued a statement to his fans about the defeat to Stirling.

“It wasn’t my night, but life and the sport move forward. Thank you to my family, my team, and all my fans for your support. I’ll learn from this experience, keep working hard, and come back stronger. Thank you for always being with me,” Cutelaba wrote on Instagram.

What’s Next for Ion Cutelaba?

Coming into this fight, Cutelaba had been on a roll as of late, as he defeated prospect Oumar Sy in his last fight by submission as a sizeable underdog. Heading into the fight with Stirling, Cutelaba had won three of four fights and was making a push to get ranked in the UFC‘s top-15 light heavyweight rankings.

However, this loss to Stirling is going to halt Cutelaba’s momentum in the division. Although he did start strong in the first round, the fact that he got so tired in the second round was not a good look for the veteran light heavyweight.

Had Cutelaba beaten Stirling, he likely would have been in line for a top-15 opponent next time out. Instead, he will have to take a step back and fight someone unranked.

A UFC fighter since 2016, Cutelaba is essentially a gatekeeper to the UFC’s top-15 light heavyweight rankings. If you beat Cutelaba, then you know you are good enough to be ranked, but if you lose to him, then you have a lot of work to do.

Look for Cutelaba to take a few months off after the TKO loss to Stirling and then get matched up against a younger fighter on the rise sometime later this year when he returns to the Octagon.