New Zealand mixed martial artist Navajo Stirling defeated Poland's Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night in Belgrade. The bout ended in the first round via technical knockout, reports infohub.kz.
Initially, Blachowicz was expected to headline the show alongside Bogdan Guskov, but the Uzbek athlete competed a week earlier, accepting a short-notice fight against Russian Magomed Ankalaev. As a result, the Pole faced Stirling in the co-main event.
Blachowicz entered the tournament ranked fourth in the light heavyweight division (up to 93 kg), while his opponent was in 15th place. The fight was scheduled for five rounds but ended early: in the opening segment, Stirling stunned his opponent with a precise right hand to the head, then finished him, forcing the referee to stop the bout.
For the 28-year-old New Zealander, this victory was his sixth in the UFC and eleventh in his professional career, where he remains undefeated. Blachowicz, meanwhile, extended his winless streak to five fights (two draws and three losses). His last victory came in May 2022. The 43-year-old former UFC champion now has 29 wins, 12 losses, and two draws in MMA.
The Belgrade tournament was the promotion's first ever held in Serbia.