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It didn’t take long for the UFC to make its decision. Following the changes in the light heavyweight division, the organization has assigned Jan Błachowicz a new opponent for the event in Belgrade. On August 1, the former UFC champion will face an undefeated fighter who is about to face the biggest test of his career so far.
The original plan called for a rematch between Jan Błachowicz and Bogdan Guskov at the event in Belgrade. However, everything changed following the lineup changes ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi. The Uzbek fighter accepted the role of a replacement in the main event and will face Magomed Ankalaev, so his second bout with the Pole had to be postponed.
After Guskov withdrew, the UFC considered several options. One of them was a fight between Jan Błachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev. The Polish fighter received this offer, but the former champion did not decide to accept it right away. He needed time to assess whether he could properly prepare for the bout on such short notice. By the time he told the organization he was ready, the offer was no longer on the table.
From that moment on, the only question remaining was who would replace Guskov in his bout against the “Prince of Cieszyn.” The UFC didn’t keep fans in suspense for too long.
Błachowicz’s new opponent is Navajo Stirling, a fighter from New Zealand who boasts an undefeated record of 8 wins and 0 losses. He joined the UFC after a successful run on Dana White’s Contender Series, and since his debut in the world’s largest MMA organization, he has fought twice and won both fights, putting on a very strong performance.
Despite a great start to his career, Stirling still hasn’t managed to break into the official light heavyweight rankings. The bout against Jan Błachowicz will therefore be a real breakthrough for him. It’s rare for a fighter outside the top 15 to get the chance to face a former UFC champion, so a victory could instantly propel him into the division’s elite.
For Błachowicz, this will be an opportunity to prove that he’s still among the best light heavyweight fighters. The experienced Pole will face a young and undefeated opponent who has nothing to lose. The UFC event in Belgrade is shaping up to be an extremely important night for both fighters—one will be looking to get back on the path to title fights, while the other will try to capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his career.
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