A medical catheter assembly includes a deflectable catheter shaft, a distal tip with tip element and a mounting shaft, and a pull ring assembly, the distal tip defining guide channels through which pull wires of the pull ring assembly pass such that the pull wires will initially extend from the pull ring toward the tip element and then loop back toward and through the catheter shaft and to a handle actuator. Pulling of the pull wires by the handle actuator to tilt the pull ring and deflect the catheter shaft will cause the pull ring to move toward tip element. The pull ring and tip element are thus interlocked. Stress forces on the connection joints between the pull wires and the pull ring will be dissipated, reducing the incidence of failure of the pull ring assembly. The medical catheter can be a non-irrigated ablation catheter wherein the tip element is a tip electrode, or an irrigated ablation catheter wherein the tip element is a tip electrode and a fluid manifold.
