Navajo Stirling Reveals He Accepted Blachowicz Fight Off 'Massive Bender'
Navajo Stirling accepted his short-notice fight against Jan Blachowicz while coming off what he described as a "massive bender" in Japan.
The undefeated heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight told Home Of Fight that the UFC offered him the bout after Blachowicz's original opponent, Bogdan Guskov, moved up to face Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi. Stirling was on holiday when he got the call and agreed despite the circumstances. "I'd just come off holiday mode in Japan," he said, per BJPenn.com. "I'm always training in the gym despite whatever I'm doing, that's my routine. But yeah, just come off a massive bender and just rolled into the weeks and got offered a fight."
Stirling Favored Over Former Champion
The 10-0 prospect opened as a betting favorite over Blachowicz, a development that surprised Stirling himself. "Damn, I thought I was going to be the underdog," he said. "Maybe I got to post my clips from Japan getting on the bender. Maybe the lines will shoot the other way." Stirling is coming off a TKO win over Ion Cutelaba and has stopped three opponents inside the Octagon, including Bruno Lopes.
Blachowicz held the UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title until Carlos Ulberg claimed the strap at UFC 327 earlier this month. Stirling said he took the fight because he had just finished the best camp of his life and wanted to capitalize on his youth and momentum.
The bout headlines UFC Belgrade on Saturday night.
Original reporting:
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