Navajo Stirling produced the biggest victory of his mixed martial arts career on Saturday night, knocking out former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the opening round of their main-card bout at UFC Belgrade.
The New Zealander needed just 2:56 of the first round to secure the finish, extending his unbeaten professional record and announcing himself as a serious contender in the 205-pound division.
Blachowicz entered the fight as the most accomplished opponent of Stirling’s career and represented a major step up in competition for the unbeaten prospect.
The Polish veteran, a former UFC champion and longtime fixture near the top of the division, was looking to halt Stirling’s rise and re-establish himself among the leading names at light heavyweight.
Stirling worked from range early, mixing kicks into his attack while attempting to draw Blachowicz into striking exchanges.
The former champion found success with a left hook that briefly put Stirling on the defensive and served as an early reminder of the power and experience he still possesses.
Rather than allowing the moment to affect him, Stirling settled into the contest and began finding openings with increasing frequency.
His movement and shot selection allowed him to regain control of the exchanges as he pushed Blachowicz backwards and forced the veteran to react.
The decisive moment came midway through the round. Stirling connected with a series of strikes that visibly hurt Blachowicz before following up with elbows and punches that sent the former champion to the canvas.
Stirling wasted little time capitalizing on the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of strikes as Blachowicz attempted to recover.
With the Polish veteran unable to defend himself effectively or improve his position, the referee stepped in to halt the contest and award Stirling a first-round knockout victory.
The win improves Stirling’s professional record to 11-0 and keeps his perfect UFC record intact at 6-0.
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