Navajo StirlingW vs. Jan Błachowicz
UFC Fight Night · August 1, 2026 · Belgrade Arena · Main Card 1:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Navajo Stirling by TKO (elbows and punches), R1
- What kind of fight
- Prospect vs. legend
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Light Heavyweight · Main Card
The result
Navajo Stirling def. Jan Błachowicz — TKO (elbows and punches), R1 2:56
The pre-fight blueprint said Stirling should be patient and bank rounds at range — instead this became a wild one-round shootout he nearly lost.
Błachowicz wobbled him early with a stiff jab that drove the New Zealander to a knee, the exact 'one shot from Jan changes everything' scenario. But Stirling recovered, answered with a clean right hand that sent the 43-year-old former champion stumbling back, and poured on heavy ground-and-pound that split Błachowicz open and forced the stoppage at 2:56.
A Performance of the Night bonus and an 11-0 record — the prospect passed the legend test, just not the way anyone drew it up.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
The blueprint for Stirling is patience: stay long, chip away with kicks and straight punches, and refuse to give Błachowicz the single clean opening his power demands.
Jan's recent form suggests the burst that once closed distance on elite athletes has faded, and 43-year-old light heavyweights rarely win track meets against City Kickboxing strikers. But every Stirling opponent so far has been a peer, not a former champion with 20-plus UFC fights of guile, and Błachowicz's grappling is the great unknown in this matchup.
Expect Stirling to bank rounds at range, with the ever-present caveat that one overhand from Jan changes everything.
The matchup
This is the classic prospect-versus-legend crossroads fight.
Stirling has every physical edge — youth, height, reach, speed, and a fresh set of tires — and his low-output-absorption defense suggests he can manage range against slower opposition. Błachowicz gives up 15 years but has faced a caliber of striker Stirling has never seen, and his 48 percent takedown accuracy and submission game offer a path the undefeated Kiwi has never been forced to answer.
If Jan can close distance and make it a grappling match, the 10-0 record starts looking untested. If he can't, Stirling's volume from the outside could pile up fast.
Tale of the tape
| 10-0 | Record | 29-11-2 |
| 28 | Age | 43 |
| 6'4" | Height | 6'2" |
| 79" | Reach | 78" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| New Zealand | Country | Poland |
| City Kickboxing | Team | Berkut WCA Fight Team |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Navajo Stirling 10-0
Navajo Stirling is the latest weapon off the City Kickboxing production line in Auckland that gave the world Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. The 6-foot-4 New Zealander is a perfect 10-0 with six knockouts, earning his UFC contract on the Contender Series in 2024 and running through five straight UFC opponents since. He fights on a quick six-week turnaround after stopping Ion Cuțelaba in June, a sign of how aggressively the UFC is pushing him. Long, technical, and hard to hit, he now gets the name-brand test every prospect needs: a former champion.
Has never lost.
- WIon Cuțelaba · TKO (punches and elbows)UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi · June 20, 2026
- WBruno Lopes · TKO (elbows and punches)UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer · March 28, 2026
- WRodolfo Bellato · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes · September 28, 2025
Jan Błachowicz 29-11-2
Jan Błachowicz is the man who brought 'legendary Polish power' into the MMA vocabulary — a former UFC light heavyweight champion who won the belt in 2020 and famously handed Israel Adesanya his first MMA loss. At 43, he is the division's elder statesman, with a résumé that includes Alexander Gustafsson, Luke Rockhold, Dominick Reyes, and Corey Anderson. The recent run has been rockier: a razor-thin split decision loss to Alex Pereira, a decision defeat to Carlos Ulberg, and a majority draw with Bogdan Guskov. He remains ranked in the top five, and his blend of power and sneaky submission skill still makes him dangerous for anyone.
- DBogdan Guskov · Draw (majority)UFC 323 · December 6, 2025
- LCarlos Ulberg · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady · March 22, 2025
- LAlex Pereira · Decision (split)UFC 291 · July 29, 2023