Navajo Stirling’s meteoric rise continued with the biggest victory of his career.

The unbeaten City Kickboxing standout remained perfect at UFC Belgrade, knocking out Jan Blachowicz in the first round to extend his rise through the light heavyweight division.

Blachowicz started aggressively, pressing forward behind heavy hooks while forcing Stirling to deal with constant pressure. The former champion even found early success, bloodying the Kiwi’s nose and briefly unsettling the undefeated prospect. Navajo Stirling, however, stayed composed and continued chopping away at Blachowicz’s lead leg while patiently searching for an opening.

That moment arrived midway through the opening round. Stirling exploded forward with a perfectly timed straight right that dropped the former champion instantly. He wasted no time following Blachowicz to the canvas, unloading a barrage of elbows and punches until the referee stepped in to wave off the contest at 2:56 of Round 1.

The emphatic finish handed Navajo Stirling the biggest victory of his professional career and improved his perfect record to 11-0, including 5-0 inside the UFC. The 28-year-old also extended his UFC winning streak to five while firmly establishing himself as a legitimate contender at 205 pounds.

Meanwhile, Blachowicz fell to 12-8-2 in the UFC and remains without a victory since defeating Aleksandar Rakic in May 2022.