Emerging UFC Light Heavyweight Contender Makes Cryptic Callout

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Navajo Stirling of New Zealand looks on before his fight with Rodolfo Bellato of Brazil in the Lightweight Bout during the UFC Fight Night at RAC Arena on September 28, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) Getty

Navajo Stirling put on a clinic against Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade, TKO-ing the former 205 lb champion in just the first round of action.

Indeed, another thing that made the undefeated 11-0 prospect’s win even more impressive was that the 43-year old Blachowicz has not been KO’d/TKO’d in over seven years since his bout against Thiago Santos in February 2019.

Stirling, now ranked in the top-5 in the UFC Media Panel Rankings, is on course for a title eliminator at the very least in his next bout, as a potential championship fight looms very much on the horizon.

Posting on X on Wednesday, the 28-year old sent a somewhat cryptic callout or hint on his next fight to the public.

🧃👀

— N A V A J O (@navajostirling) August 12, 2026

Stirling sent an emoji of a juice box followed by two eyeball emojis. The juice box likely refers to fellow light heavyweight contender Paulo Costa, whose name has been thrown into contention for the potential forthcoming UFC Light Heavyweight Interim Championship later this autumn after defeating the previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov decisively back in April at UFC 327.

It is not clear whether the two eyeball emojis following the juice box are an invitation to Costa to fight, or if it is Stirling hinting that there have already been talks about matching the pair up in the future.

Does a Costa-Stirling Matchup Make Sense?

It is much believed that over the next couple of months, two of the 205 lb’s best will fight it out for the interim belt after current champion Carlos Ulberg tore his ACL during his stunning KO win against Jiří Procházka earlier this year.

Jiří has been tipped to fight again for the interim belt, and both Costa and Magomed Ankalaev – who just finished Bogdan Guskov back in July at UFC Abu Dhabi – are likely potential opponents.

A fight against Stirling would be a distinct pivot for Costa, and most likely it would only be a realistic option for the Brazilian if he knew he was being passed over for the 205 lb interim title shot.

If the UFC needs the interim title bout to happen sooner rather than later and does not want to give Procházka his fourth title shot in less than three years, then this could also be the eventual matchmaking for the title itself, with the winner facing Ulberg sometime in 2027.

With three straight finishes Stirling looks to be – at most – one big win away from a title shot.

 

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