Israel Adesanya believes Navajo Stirling has done enough to enter the UFC's top-five conversation after Stirling's fast knockout win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade. The result marked a major moment for the unbeaten contender and quickly drew attention from one of the sport's biggest names.
Stirling improved to 11-0 in MMA and 6-0 in the UFC with what was described as the biggest victory of his career so far. Beating a well-known opponent like Blachowicz in that fashion added significant weight to his rise and strengthened the case for a jump in the rankings.
Adesanya's reaction carried extra meaning because Stirling is a former City Kickboxing teammate. His support highlighted both Stirling's performance and the sense that the fighter may be ready for a much tougher level of opposition after this latest finish.
With the win in Belgrade, Navajo Stirling has moved from promising unbeaten name to a fighter firmly in the UFC ranking debate. Adesanya's call for a top-five spot reflects how strongly Stirling's quick knockout of Jan Blachowicz was received.
