The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
was originally slated to rematch Bogdan
Guskov at
UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. However, those plans changed
when Guskov was offered the
UFC Abu Dhabi main event spot against Magomed
Ankalaev following Khalil
Rountree’s withdrawal.

As such, Blachowicz (29-11-2) will now square off against Navajo
Stirling in the new co-main event in Belgrade and the Polish
veteran is unfazed by the change.

Jan Blachowicz prepares for UFC Belgrade fight against Navajo
Stirling

After Guskov accepted the short-notice bout against Ankalaev,
Blachowicz was paired with Stirling. The former champion insists
little has changed in his preparation.

“I am doing this all my life,†Blachowicz said in a recent
interview. “It's a new opponent. I have a lot of respect for him,
but it’s just another fighter who I have to stop. I don't think
about this mess around because I don't want to waste energy for
that. Okay, it's a new opponent; that's it. We do small changes and
we are here to win the fight against him, or a different opponent
doesn't matter.â€

The upcoming matchup gives Blachowicz an opportunity to halt the
longest winless stretch of his UFC tenure. He has gone four
straight outings without a victory and is coming off a majority
draw against Guskov this past December. His last win came all the
way back in May 2022 when he defeated Aleksandar
Rakic.

He'll have his work cut out for him against the surging Stirling,
who boasts a perfect 10-0 record.

In a recent interview, the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight and light
heavyweight titleholder weighed in on how he believes a fight
against fellow former two-division king Alex
Pereira and a wrestling match against longtime rival Daniel
Cormier would unfold, backing himself in both scenarios.

Jon Jones explains why he sees grappling as the deciding factor
in a hypothetical fight with Alex Pereira

Jones and Pereira were seemingly on a collision course when the
latter announced his move up to heavyweight for
UFC Freedom 250. However, with Jones' ongoing stalemate with
the UFC regarding his future, a fight against “Poatan†has fallen
through.

Nevertheless, Jones cites size as a key factor at heavyweight,
claiming his former opponents Stipe
Miocic and Ciryl Gane
are bigger than Pereira, who previously competed at 185 pounds.

“I watched Pereira train,†Jones said in an interview with AFL
Global. “I see his level of wrestling and it’s way behind. I feel
as if Stipe Miocic is a true heavyweight. He’s a big, big boy.
Ciryl Gane, when you see him in person, he’s a big, big boy. Alex
Pereira is not a big, big boy. He’s a lean guy. I think right now
he weighs maybe 250.â€

Jones believes his size and grappling would have overwhelmed
Pereira, predicting a submission win had they collided inside the
Octagon.

“I feel as if my physical strength would have been too much for
him,†Jones said. “I felt as if the moment I would have gotten him
to the ground, my submissions would have come pretty quickly. I
mean, everyone knows that. I think that’s the clearest path to
victory for me against Alex Pereira. But we’re not fighting. I am a
fan of him. I support him, and I want to see him do well.â€

“Bones†also discussed his approach towards a potential wrestling
match with Cormier, who he's already shared the cage with
twice.

“I think I would have beat D.C. in a wrestling match,†Jones said.
“It wouldn’t be easy, but I think I would beat him in wrestling. I
hear that he has problems with his back, so my strategy would be to
just try to wear on him. Not shoot, not go for the takedown, but
just hand fight, hand fight, hand fight and see if I could wear on
that back.â€

The top-ranked
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender is set to
face Indian fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria in a
submission-only grappling match at a Hype Fighting event in
Armenia, the promotion announced on Instagram.

Arman Tsarukyan faces Ankit Baiyanpuria in a submission-only
grappling match at Hype Fighting in Armenia

Hype Fighting announced a submission-only grappling match between
Tsarukyan and Baiyanpuria for their upcoming event in Yerevan,
Armenia, on Aug. 1.

Tsarukyan has not competed in mixed martial arts since November
last year, when he submitted Dan Hooker.
The victory marked his return following a lengthy hiatus after
earning a decision win over former lightweight champion Charles
Oliveira at UFC
300 in April 2024.

While his next UFC appearance remains unconfirmed, Tsarukyan has
stayed active outside the promotion. The Armenian has competed
eight times under the Real American Freestyle banner, compiling a
7-1 record. His lone defeat came earlier this month, when he lost
on points to Colby
Covington.

Meanwhile, Baiyanpuria has emerged as one of India’s most notable
fitness influencers, building a massive online following through
his workout videos, traditional training methods and disciplined
lifestyle content. However, he has no notable professional
grappling credentials.