Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Blachowicz Faces Undefeated Stirling at UFC Belgrade

8/1/2026

34 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Stirling Takes Fight

Jan Blachowicz will fight undefeated Navajo Stirling at UFC Fight Night 283 in Belgrade on August 1, 2026.
Stirling accepted the short-notice bout after a vacation in Japan, saying he is in top shape.
Stirling enters the fight with recent second-round stoppages of Bruno Lopes on March 28 and Ion Cutelaba on June 20, 2026.
The co-main event will be a three-round, five-minute-per-round fight at Belgrade Arena.

Summary

Stirling Credits Bareman

Navajo Stirling credits trainer Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing for guiding his rise to a UFC contender.
He moved from Wellington to Auckland to train at the gym that produced Israel Adesanya, Carlos Ulberg and Dan Hooker.
Stirling says he will wait for teammates Carlos Ulberg and Robert Whittaker to retire before pursuing the title.
He hopes his story will inspire New Zealand and Australian youths because role models are scarce.

History

Historical Context

Israel Adesanya’s UFC debut on 11 February 2018, a second-round TKO that earned Performance of the Night, marked a breakthrough for a New Zealand-born fighter. The significance of his rise is reflected by later matchups with Sean Strickland and former champion Jan Blachowicz, both of whom fought Adesanya, illustrating the Pacific region’s expanding role in top-level UFC competition.

1 of 3

Stirling Takes Fight

Jan Blachowicz will fight undefeated Navajo Stirling at UFC Fight Night 283 in Belgrade on August 1, 2026.
Stirling accepted the short-notice bout after a vacation in Japan, saying he is in top shape.
Stirling enters the fight with recent second-round stoppages of Bruno Lopes on March 28 and Ion Cutelaba on June 20, 2026.
The co-main event will be a three-round, five-minute-per-round fight at Belgrade Arena.

1 / 3