Done in one: Kiwi Stirling makes major UFC statement with short-notice win

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Author: Christopher Reive,
Publish Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2026, 8:45am

Navajo Stirling claimed a first-round TKO win over Jan Blachowicz in Serbia. Photo / Getty Images

Navajo Stirling got the call less than three weeks ago.

He had just gotten home from a holiday in Japan and learnt he had been offered the biggest fight of his career - against former UFC light heavyweight champion and top-five-ranked Jan Blachowicz in Serbia.

It was an opportunity he wasn’t going to pass up and set the wheels in motion for the sort of story that athletes can make a name from.

Stirling did exactly that, claiming a TKO win over Blachowicz in the first round in just under three minutes.

Coming into the contest, the 43-year-old Polish powerhouse had only been beaten by knockout or TKO twice in 42 professional MMA bouts - most recently in 2019. He had only lost in the first round once in his career - in 2007.

But a whipping right overhand from 28-year-old Stirling caught Blachowicz as he tried to counter-strike, sending him sprawling backwards.

The Kiwi then got to work with punches as Blachowicz covered up on the canvas to try and regather himself, and didn’t rush things when Blachowicz tried to get some control in his guard.

A couple of heavy elbows from Stirling saw Blachowicz cut just below his right eye, and after a few more shots the referee stepped in.

“The thing about fighting is it all starts [in your mind]. If you can see it, you can make it happen,” Stirling said in his post-fight interview.

Speaking to the Herald before the bout, Stirling said he wanted to make 2026 his year after having already won twice by TKO coming into the fight in Serbia.

With an emphatic win over Blachowicz, Stirling has done exactly that.

And he had to go through some animosity to get there.

Stirling was stung by a good counter shot from Blachowicz, who timed his punch perfectly as Stirling was stepping in for his own attack, which buckled the Kiwi.

He recovered well, but was bleeding from his nose afterwards.

Undeterred, Stirling kept pressing forward, and it wasn’t long before he found his shot.

Likely to find himself at the pointy end of the rankings when things update, Stirling, now 11-0 in his professional MMA career, has put himself in a great position to one day challenge for the title.

With that belt currently in the possession of his teammate at Auckland City Kickboxing gym Carlos Ulberg, things could get interesting should Stirling pick up another win or two.

For now, he has set his sights elsewhere.

“If [Khalil] Rountree or Paulo Costa want a fight before the year ends, you know who to call.”

The Belgrade card also set a UFC record for first-round finishes, with 10 of the event’s 14 bouts ending inside the first five minutes.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.