Former Champion Gets New Opponent for UFC Belgrade

Jan Blachowicz remains on the UFC Belgrade fight card, set to face a rising talent.

On Thursday, the UFC announced that undefeated fighter Navajo Sterling will step in on short notice to face former champion Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of the Belgrade fight night this August.

Blachowicz (29-11-2) was originally scheduled for a rematch with Bogdan Guskov, but Guskov was pulled earlier this week to replace Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi this month. Now, the former champion stays on the card but will face his first unranked opponent since his 2018 bout against Nikita Krylov.

Sterling (10-0) may not be ranked, but he is on an exceptional run, having won his first five UFC fights. The City Kickboxing product most recently defeated Ion Cutelaba by second-round knockout at UFC Vegas 119.

Meanwhile, Blachowicz is a former UFC and KSW Light Heavyweight Champion. The 43-year-old Pole, a staple of the organization for over a decade, is currently experiencing the worst period of his career, without a win in his last four bouts. In his last outing, Blachowicz fought to a draw with Bogdan Guskov at UFC 323 in December.

UFC Belgrade will take place on August 1st at the Belgrade Arena, with the main event featuring a welterweight clash between Uroš Medić and Daniel Rodriguez.