Michael Bisping said Navajo Stirling will extend his 6-0 start at UFC 315. Bisping highlighted Sterling’s size advantage, the fact he trains alongside Israel Adesanya, and his growing confidence as an undefeated prospect. He called Croatian striker Ivan Erslan "patient to a fault," predicting that tempo will let Stirling pick him apart at range. Because Stirling is, in Bisping’s words, "the better striker and the bigger guy," he expects Sterling to control exchanges and either score a late finish or win a clear decision. Bettors should back Sterling on the prelims.

DFS Army said Ivan Erslan is their favorite sub-$7,500 punt at just $7,100 against heavily-favored Navajo Sterling. Erslan owns an 18-3 record—triple Sterling’s pro experience—and logged five minutes of top control in his split loss to Iwan Kutalaba, proving he can wrestle at UFC level. The hosts think grappling is the X-factor because Sterling is a pure striker who landed zero takedowns and under one minute of control on Contender Series. Striker-only fighters rarely pay off a $9,100 tag unless they score a first-round KO, and the bout is only –190 to finish. They also cited the recent stat showing undefeated newcomers win under 40% of the time in the UFC. If Erslan survives the opening round, they expect him to plant Sterling on his back, pile up ground strikes and potentially top 80–90 DraftKings points in a decision—an optimal lineup score at likely sub-15% ownership.

The Weasle forecast Navajo Stirling to win by methodical third-round TKO. Sterling owns a sizeable reach edge, polished footwork, and superior shot selection, thriving in slow, patient fights – exactly the tempo Ivana Erslan prefers. Tape shows Erslan was dropped by Ion Cutelaba’s straight right and iced by Rafal Haratyk charging forward; Stirling variety and counters should replicate that damage while avoiding Erslan’s one-punch right-hand traps. Expect Sterling to pick him apart at range, then pour on strikes for a stoppage once cumulative damage adds up.

Gumby Vreeland called for Ivan Erslan at +250 to hand 6-0 prospect Nabaho Sterling his first loss. Erslan went 15 hard minutes in a split decision with Ion Cutelaba and showed he can land takedowns against a noted wrestler, while Sterling got taken down three times by Tafa Tookatuckus—an 0-2 UFC fighter. Vreeland doubts Sterling’s takedown defense and has not seen him fight anyone near Erslan’s level. He expects the Croatian to chain wrestle, bank top control, and test whether Sterling’s knockout power translates off his back. Vreeland labeled this a classic prospect-loss spot where the more battle-tested grappler cashes as a sizable dog.

Cody Saftic said to attack Aljamain “Navajo” Sterling’s KO/TKO prop at plus money, arguing that the 6-foot-4 City Kickboxing product’s length and pace will eventually melt Ivan Erslan. Saftic noted Sterling’s 78-inch reach, switch-stance arsenal and the Eugene Bareman system that turned fellow lanky strikers Israel Adesanya and Carlos Ulberg into finish machines. He re-watched Sterling’s decision over Tokkos and came away encouraged by the 27-year-old’s ability to crank up volume late (output climbed each round), calling that cage time “graduate school in composure.” Erslan, by contrast, stands due-north, offers no lateral movement and willingly traded center-line shots with Ion Cutelaba — a recipe for eating flash-knees and head kicks from Sterling. Saftic expects the first five minutes to be competitive but predicts Sterling’s range weapons, inside-leg kicks and step-in knees will snowball once the Croatian starts plodding. With Sterling’s money-line already past –300, Saftic prefers KO/TKO at plus money and is sprinkling Round-2 (+400) as the ceiling outcome.

Michael Iurato doubled down on Sterling’s finish equity, calling this "textbook UFC matchmaking for a viral clip." Erslan marches straight forward, rarely cuts angles, and shows no footage of meaningful lateral movement—exactly the profile that lets Sterling set landmines. Iurato loves Sterling’s habit of chaining body-head combinations, switching stance mid-flurry, and never throwing single strikes; against a stationary target, that volume should snowball quickly. He bet Sterling inside-the-distance at –120 and sprinkled the Round-2 prop at +400, predicting a step-in knee or high kick once the Croatian’s guard starts cheating low. Iurato dismissed the underdog’s puncher’s chance, noting Sterling’s 6-0 record already includes several foes with sturdier knock-out resumes than Erslan.

Dan Tom advised betting Aljamain "Navajo" Sterling inside the distance, projecting a round-two or round-three stoppage over Ivan Erslan. Tom highlighted Sterling’s commitment to ripping the body—a weapon Erslan has never really had to defend—and thinks sustained liver shots will melt the Croatian far quicker than the 1.5-round total suggests (under sits at +135). While Erslan looked serviceable on short notice last time, he still plants his feet and offers almost no lateral movement, a dream target for Sterling’s switch-stance kicks and shovel hooks. Because the money-line has ballooned to –310, Tom is bypassing the chalk and taking Sterling KO/TKO around +125 with a hedge on the under 1.5 in case the body work pays off even sooner.

Despite acknowledging that Navajo Stirling is still raw defensively—especially against takedowns—Millz Young is willing to lay the chalk because Stirling City Kickboxing striking is several levels above Ivan Erslan’s. Erslan managed only a single takedown and looked sluggish in his lone UFC appearance versus Ion Cutelaba, so Millz doubts he will be able to blanket Sterling for long stretches. As long as Stirling stuffs the first couple entries or scrambles up quickly, Millz expects the speed and kicking arsenal to overwhelm Erslan and produce a finish inside the distance. He is wary of huge money-line parlays on a still-green fighter but likes Stirling ITD or Sterling Round 2/3 props for plus money.

Bedtime MMA labeled Ivan Erslan a "scary taxi driver" type but ultimately not UFC-level enough to fraud-check Navajo Stirling. He expects Stirling to lean on a significant reach advantage, mixing long jabs, leg kicks and body work while staying defensively sound to neutralize Erslan’s one-punch power. Because Erslan is durable and swings big, Bedtime projects Stirling to fight smart rather than chase a finish, banking 30-27 scorecards. He did leave the door open for a late counter KO if Erslan charges recklessly, but the official pick is a clear decision for Sterling.

MMA Guru forecasted a first-round TKO for 6-0 Navajo Stirling. He likes Stirling’s length and patience, noting the prospect kept composure while battering durable veteran Tokkos over three rounds in his last outing. Ivan Erslan carries power but tends to rush forward—exactly what Stirling’s rangy counterstriking punishes. Guru also pointed out Erslan failed to out-grapple Ion Cutelaba in his debut, so he doubts Erslan can exploit Stirling on the mat. Expecting Erslan to bite on early firefights, Guru envisions Stirling timing a counter and pouring on ground-and-pound for the stoppage inside five minutes.

Kunath urged listeners to lay the chalk on unbeaten "Navajo" Stirling inside the distance. The 5-0 prospect survived adversity in his UFC debut yet still swept all three rounds, an experience Kunath views as more valuable than a quick finish. Sterling owns clear athletic and cardio edges plus notable size advantages over Yvonne Ursulaan, who reportedly struggled to make 205. Kunath blasted Ursulaan for a lethargic debut—he “laid and prayed” for long stretches, then lost the third round of a split-decision he desperately needed. He questioned Ursulaan’s gas tank and mentality, noting the Croatian looked too exhausted to force the issue. Against a bigger, fresher athlete who can push pace and wrestle when required, Kunath expects Ursulaan to wilt late. The play is Sterling ITD, with Kunath indifferent between KO or submission props because he believes fatigue, not technique, will decide the finishing method.