UFC Belgrade: Navajo Stirling tears through Jan Blachowicz in first round, calls out Khalil Rountree and Paulo Costa

Navajo Stirling announced his arrival as a legitimate title contender at UFC Belgrade, dismantling former champion Jan Blachowicz in the opening round of their co-main-event light heavyweight clash. Taking the fight on short notice, Stirling looked supremely prepared, dropping Blachowicz with a perfectly timed right hand that sent the Polish powerhouse tumbling to the canvas. From there, the New Zealand prospect showed no mercy, unleashing a relentless barrage of ground-and-pound elbows until referee Marc Goddard intervened at 2:56 of round one.

Blachowicz opened hot with a sharp jab that briefly rattled Stirling and drew blood, but the younger fighter weathered the moment. When Stirling uncorked his decisive right hand, Blachowicz had no answer. The former light heavyweight champion hit the mat hard, and Stirling immediately pounced, slicing open Blachowicz's face with vicious elbows before the referee mercifully stopped the assault.

Post-fight, Stirling remained composed and respectful. "It's an absolute honor to share the ring with a former champion like Jan Blachowicz," he said, crediting his coaching staff at City Kickboxing. "I'm a big fan of Jan." The undefeated prospect then scanned the rankings and called out top contenders, declaring: "If Khalil Rountree or Paulo Costa want to fight... I'll whoop that ass." For Blachowicz, now 0-3-2 in his past five fights at age 43, the loss raises questions about his future in the sport.