Jan Blachowicz has spent years proving himself against the best the light heavyweight division has to offer.
This Saturday at UFC Belgrade, the former champion plans to remind everyone he still belongs among the elite by handing unbeaten Navajo Stirling the first loss of his professional career.
Blachowicz (29-11-2) was originally set to face Bogdan Guskov at UFC Belgrade, but ‘Hitman’ took a short-notice bout against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi last week. Guskov lost the bout via TKO in the fifth round.
“I don’t watch this fight because I’ve got my fight so I focus about me,” Blachowicz told reporters on Wednesday.
“I just hear that it was little bit boring fight, but I don’t watch it. I need to watch it later and then I going to have my opinion.”
Blachowicz sees Stirling as another talented prospect looking to make a name for himself, but one he fully expects to derail. With both men preferring to strike, the former champion believes fans are in for an entertaining stand-up battle.
“Another guy who I have to beat and stop it. Great, young fighter, with good stand up skills. It’s going to be good fight to watch because I also like fighting stand up, so let’s go. Let’s do it one more time,” he said.
Blachowicz respects what Stirling has accomplished in a short time, but he believes the undefeated prospect is stepping into a completely different level of competition on Saturday. The former champion is confident that while Stirling may have youth and athleticism on his side, experience and composure will ultimately be the difference.
“He’s got 10 and 0 so it’s time to stop him and after Saturday I believe he going to have 10 and 1. For sure he going to be faster, stronger, but I’ve got stronger mentality and my experience is much bigger than his,” he said.
“I’m going to use it.”
Blachowicz isn’t looking beyond Saturday night or getting caught up in championship scenarios. Instead, the former light heavyweight champion says his only focus is putting on an entertaining performance against the unbeaten Stirling, with the belief that the title picture will sort itself out afterward.
“I don’t think about this. I just want to have some fun inside octagon,” said Blachowicz.
“Enjoy the fight, win the fight in good style, celebrate after the fight, and we will see what’s going to happen.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Jan Blachowicz above. He faces Navajo Stirling at UFC Belgrade on Saturday.
