Ion Cutelaba
Skill profile
138 MMA anchors Striking, Durability, Wrestling, Grappling · his tags and claims adjust TD Defense, Control · stats alone on Accuracy, Striking D.
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Insider info
vs Navajo Stirling coinflip UFC Fight Night Kape vs Horiguchi Full Card Preview & Predictions · June 16, 2026
Hedge plus explicit betting caution: says it's not worth a wager.
His well-established pattern repeats: he comes out extremely fast and aggressive with real power, then fades badly, with durability tied to that same cardio collapse rather than a fragile chin on its own. His grappling features high-volume takedown attempts, ground and pound, and a submission arsenal he's recently added and now attacks; the overall read is that he either finishes early or doesn't win against good competition.
vs Oumar Sy coinflip UFC Fight Night Emmett vs Vallejos · March 8, 2026 · 1 read since
says outright "not my most confident pick" and that neither man is exceptional
Decent, aggressive and powerful striker who the analyst calls 'kind of a glass cannon' -- a recurring pattern of a hot start that falls apart once an opponent survives his initial push. Good grappling with good ground and pound and a high volume of takedown attempts, consistent with the same fast-start, fade-late pattern.
vs Modestas Bukauskas lean UFC 315 Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · May 6, 2025 · 2 reads since
He explicitly calls Cutelaba live to finish the fight in round one, is openly surprised by Bukauskas's record given competition quality, but still settles on Bukauskas once the fight is assumed to reach deeper rounds, citing cardio as the deciding weapon.
An aggressive, fast-starting striker the analyst calls a glass cannon: he comes out swinging for the finish immediately, and if tagged back it is unlikely to go well for him. His grappling is good, with heavy takedown volume and ground-and-pound, picking up opportunistic submissions once he has hurt his opponent on the mat. His cardio is the central problem: the analyst says it falls off a cliff after the first round more often than not, which he frames as the deciding factor if the fight goes long.
vs Ibo Aslan coinflip UFC Fight Night Cejudo vs Yadong Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · February 18, 2025 · 3 reads since
Says he did not mark a pick until just before recording, trusts neither man, and says he is 'flipping a coin' before going with the underdog.
A veteran who looks bad at times but has faced much better opposition than Aslan. His plan is to shoot a lot of takedowns right away and start ground and pound, which could end the fight early. On the feet he is powerful and starts fast, but the analyst calls him a glass cannon whose cardio falls apart. He is 2-3 in his last five. The analyst says early finishes are plausible in the fight, with neither man trustworthy.
vs Ivan Erslan coinflip UFC Fight Night Moicano vs Saint-Denis Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown (UFC Paris) · September 25, 2024 · 4 reads since
Explicit 'show me spot,' a root-beer idiom paired with advice to just watch for entertainment, and "we need more information" -- the strongest hedge combination on the card.
An explosive striker/wrestler who starts at a ferocious pace, with heavy ground-and-pound and high-volume takedowns early, but the analyst calls him a glass cannon whose cardio collapses once that early burst is spent, leaving him open to being hurt and finished later.
vs Philipe Lins coinflip UFC 299 Full Card Analysis, Breakdown, & Prediction · March 6, 2024 · 5 reads since
Picks Lins because, in the analyst's own words, he has more routes to winning as the fight wears on, but immediately tells viewers to pass on betting it and follows with the root-beer stay-away idiom -- the combined signal that caps conviction to coinflip.
Early-rounds force who starts fast with real power and a high volume of takedown attempts, producing great ground and pound when he gets on top, but he is a true one-to-two-round fighter -- his cardio disappears after the opening rounds and he is a legitimate risk if he eats a clean shot. His own UFC career pattern backs up the fast-start-then-fade read.
vs Philipe Lins clear UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green Full Card Breakdown, Predictions, & Analysis (UFC Vegas 80) · October 4, 2023 · 6 reads since
Names Lins plainly with a specific round-by-round mechanism: survive and stuff the early takedown attempts, wear the opponent out, finish him once the pace catches up. Separately floats a possible opponent-first-round betting angle as price color, which is wager commentary, not a hedge on the analytical pick.
A very fast starter with powerful, heavy striking and good wrestling -- once he lands a takedown his ground-and-pound is described as serious. The catch is total: his cardio is gone after round one, and he is called a glass cannon who isn't especially durable himself. Not picked, specifically because the fight is expected to survive his dangerous opening and then expose the cardio collapse.
vs Tanner Boser coinflip UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen · April 11, 2023 · 7 reads since
Boser is named as the side he expects to cope with the new weight class, but the call is wrapped in an open disclaimer that he lacks confidence in this fight either way. The suggested approach is a staking plan: back Cutelaba early, then switch to Boser once round one is over. A side picked mainly to fill the slot, with the real advice being a hedge between both men, is a coinflip. Defensible alternative: lean.
A fast-starting wrestler who throws takedowns at a high rate in the opening round and looks for ground-and-pound, but whose gas tank empties after round one. The analyst sees the dangerous window as the first five minutes and prefers to bet around it rather than commit to a winner.
vs Kennedy Nzechukwu lean UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac Full Card Analysis, Preview, and Prediction · November 16, 2022 · 8 reads since
States he thinks Nzechukwu wins 'more often than not' and lists his physical tools as the basis, but immediately qualifies that he 'can't trust it' before the first round plays out, framing the matchup around Nzechukwu's own inconsistency and slow starts - real hedging on the pick's reliability, not only on bet timing.
An aggressive, very fast starter who comes out throwing big power shots and good wrestling from the opening bell, exactly as described in an earlier read of him. His explicitly stated limitation is that he has nothing left if he fails to finish in round one, repeatedly losing rounds two and three after a strong start - the same pattern the analyst says has produced his losing recent record.
vs Johnny Walker coinflip UFC 279 Full Card Preview, Predictions, & Analysis · September 7, 2022 · 9 reads since
States "zero confidence" in his own pick and says he is "not confident whatsoever"; this is outcome doubt, not just wager caution, but he still names Cutelaba plainly as the winner.
Cutelaba starts fights very strong but gasses out, matching his board exactly, and the analyst calls his fight IQ awful, citing a finish loss to a named past opponent as evidence. His likeliest path to victory is pressuring forward, landing hands on the way in, and getting a first-round takedown into ground and pound before his gas tank becomes an issue.
Striking trend
Fight history
L Navajo Stirling 9-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 3:23 — UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi · June 20, 2026
W Oumar Sy 3-1 walk-in Submission · R1 4:24 — UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos · March 14, 2026
L Modestas Bukauskas 17-6 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena · May 10, 2025
W Ibo Aslan 14-1 walk-in Submission · R1 2:51 — UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song · February 22, 2025
W Ivan Erslan 0-0 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis · September 28, 2024
L Philipe Lins 16-5 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2 · March 9, 2024
W Tanner Boser 20-9-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 2:05 — UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen · April 15, 2023
L Kennedy Nzechukwu 10-3 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 1:02 — UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cutelaba · November 19, 2022
L Johnny Walker 18-7 walk-in Submission · R1 4:37 — UFC 279: Diaz vs. Ferguson · September 10, 2022
L Ryan Spann 19-7 walk-in Submission · R1 2:22 — UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Rakic · May 14, 2022
W Devin Clark 12-5 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann · September 18, 2021
D Dustin Jacoby 14-5 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs. Prochazka · May 1, 2021
L Magomed Ankalaev 12-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 4:19 — UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje · October 24, 2020
L Magomed Ankalaev 11-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 0:38 — UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo · February 29, 2020
W Khalil Rountree Jr. 8-3 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 2:35 — UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier · September 28, 2019
L Glover Teixeira 28-7 walk-in Submission · R2 3:37 — UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Hermansson · April 27, 2019
W Gadzhimurad Antigulov 16-4 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 4:25 — UFC Fight Night: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 · July 28, 2018
W Henrique da Silva 12-2 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 0:22 — UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt · June 10, 2017
L Jared Cannonier 8-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale · December 3, 2016
W Jonathan Wilson 7-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson · October 1, 2016
L Misha Cirkunov 11-2 walk-in Submission · R3 1:22 — UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs Thompson · June 18, 2016
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
Wins by method
Losses by method
Draws: 1 · No contests: 1
Fights by organization
+ 1 more organizations in the full career list
Full career — 34 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Navajo Stirling | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi
June 20, 2026 |
UFC | 2 | 3:23 |
| W | Oumar Sy | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos
March 14, 2026 |
UFC | 1 | 4:24 |
| L | Modestas Bukauskas | Decision (split) | UFC 315
May 10, 2025 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | İbo Aslan | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song
February 22, 2025 |
UFC | 1 | 2:51 |
| W | Ivan Erslan | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis
September 28, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Philipe Lins | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 299
March 9, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Tanner Boser | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. Allen
April 15, 2023 |
UFC | 1 | 2:05 |
| L | Kennedy Nzechukwu | TKO (flying knee and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba
November 19, 2022 |
UFC | 2 | 1:02 |
| L | Johnny Walker | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 279
September 10, 2022 |
UFC | 1 | 4:37 |
| L | Ryan Spann | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić
May 14, 2022 |
UFC | 1 | 2:22 |
| W | Devin Clark | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann
September 18, 2021 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| D | Dustin Jacoby | Draw (split) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka
May 1, 2021 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Magomed Ankalaev | KO (punches) | UFC 254
October 24, 2020 |
UFC | 1 | 4:19 |
| L | Magomed Ankalaev | TKO (head kicks and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo
February 29, 2020 |
UFC | 1 | 0:38 |
| W | Khalil Rountree Jr. | TKO (elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier
September 28, 2019 |
UFC | 1 | 2:35 |
| L | Glover Teixeira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson
April 27, 2019 |
UFC | 2 | 3:37 |
| W | Gadzhimurad Antigulov | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2
July 28, 2018 |
UFC | 1 | 4:25 |
| W | Henrique da Silva | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt
June 11, 2017 |
UFC | 1 | 0:22 |
| L | Jared Cannonier | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale
December 3, 2016 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Jonathan Wilson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson
October 1, 2016 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Misha Cirkunov | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson
June 18, 2016 |
UFC | 3 | 1:22 |
| W | Malik Merad | KO (punch) | World Warriors FC: Cage Encounter 4
September 19, 2015 |
World Warriors FC | 1 | 0:08 |
| W | Vitali Ontishchenko | Submission (omoplata) | World Warriors FC: Cage Encounter 3
April 4, 2015 |
World Warriors FC | 1 | 2:37 |
| W | Yuri Gorbenko | TKO (punches) | World Warriors FC: Ukraine Selection 5
February 28, 2015 |
World Warriors FC | 1 | 1:10 |
| W | Izidor Bunea | TKO (punches) | World Warriors FC: Cage Encounter 2
December 13, 2014 |
World Warriors FC | 1 | 1:13 |
| W | Alexandru Stoica | KO (punch) | World Warriors FC: Cage Encounter 1
June 14, 2014 |
World Warriors FC | 1 | 0:07 |
| W | Constantin Padure | KO (punch) | Combat Sambo Federation of Moldova: Adrenaline
April 4, 2014 |
Combat Sambo Federation of Moldova | 1 | 1:05 |
| W | Igor Gorkun | KO (punch) | Grand European FC: Battle on the Gold Mountain
December 21, 2013 |
Grand European FC | 1 | 0:28 |
| L | Michał Andryszak | DQ (punches to back of head) | Cage Warriors 58
August 24, 2013 |
Cage Warriors | 1 | 4:07 |
| NC | Murod Hanturaev | NC (referee error) | Alash Pride: Grand Prix 2013
July 7, 2013 |
Alash Pride | 1 | 0:24 |
| W | Anatoli Ciumac | TKO (punches) | European Combat Sambo Federation: Battle of Bessarabia
March 24, 2013 |
European Combat Sambo Federation | 2 | 0:29 |
| W | Igor Kukurudziak | Submission (omoplata) | European Combat Sambo Federation: Adrenaline
December 14, 2012 |
European Combat Sambo Federation | 1 | 0:42 |
| W | Julian Chilikov | TKO (punches) | The Battle for Ruse
June 22, 2012 |
The Battle for Ruse | 1 | 0:25 |
| W | Daglar Gasimov | TKO (punches) | CIS Pankration Cup 2012
April 5, 2012 |
CIS Pankration Cup | 1 | 0:27 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Ion Cutelaba) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.
Division context
Headshot of Ion Cutelaba by UFC · Official UFC athlete photo (copyright UFC; not freely licensed) · Wikimedia Commons · flattened onto dark background, cropped/resized