Could Navajo Stirling Save the Light Heavyweight Division?
The UFC light heavyweight division is stale - We take a look at the state of it and whether Navajo Stirling could save it.
Navajo Stirling is quickly becoming a breath of fresh air in the UFC's light heavyweight division. At 28 years old, the New Zealander is undefeated at 11-0 and has looked solid since his debut in 2024. This week it was announced that he would be featuring in his first main event, a five-rounder against Jiri Prochazka in Qatar, set for November 21st.
The current crop of light heavyweight contenders are ageing, stale, and the new age is needed at 205lbs. Navajo Stirling could very much be the spearhead of the new age.
Navajo Stirling - In Form and Firing
With a background in kickboxing and Muay Thai, Stirling was always going to have a fan-friendly style. The 28 year old debuted in MMA in 2022, gaining a shot on the contender series in 2024 and went on to secure a contract.
His UFC debut saw him beat Tuco Tokkos via decision before going back-to-back in 2025 with 15-minute wins over Ivan Erslan and Rodolfo Bellato.
Something changed in 2026 for Stirling, and he kicked it off with a big win over Bruno Lopes in Seattle, winning the fight via TKO in the second round. He followed this up with a June victory over Ion Cutelaba, again with a second-round stoppage.
He would return for the third time in 2026 in August when he was matched with former champion Jan Blachowicz. In this occasion, it took him under three minutes to TKO the former king of the division, earning himself a performance of the night bonus. He became just the third man to TKO Blachowicz and the second in the UFC.
He'll return for his fourth outing of the year in Qatar, and with a big win and his solid strength of schedule, it would be hard to deny him a title shot.
The Light Heavyweight Division
The 205lbs division in the UFC is one of the more stale divisions in the sport. The champion, Carlos Ulberg, got injured in the fight in which he won the belt and hasn't fought since. Although he's said he will, there's no guarantee that he fights in early 2027.
The #1 ranked fighter in the division, Alex Pereira, hasn't fought at the weight since 2025 and seemingly has no intention of dropping back down a weight class after moving up to heavyweight.
#2 is Magomed Ankalaev, who, despite being the former champion, is one fighter than fans simply aren't interested in seeing. He doesn't have a fan friendly style, doesn't sell fights and simply wouldn't be missed if he left the UFC.
Jiri Prochazka sits at #3 but after four title fights, the Prochazka experiment could be wearing a bit thin. He's still exciting, entertaining and can sell a fight, however, the appertite to see him in another title fight could be minimal.
Paulo Costa is at #4, however, has just one win at 205lbs against Azamat Murzakanov. He needs at least one more highly ranked win to be considered in the title picture.
With that being said, Stirling has no wins over anyone in the top 15 as per the META rankings. His fighting style is refreshing, as is his promotional style, as we can see with his recent fight announcement.
😂 Navajo Stirling drops an UNBELIEVABLE announcement video for Jiri Prochazka
— Delinquent MMA (@DelinquentMMA) September 29, 2026
Stirling vs Prochazka is set for the main event of UFC Qatar November 21st
Via @navajostirling pic.twitter.com/rIt9CpobYZ
Are you exciting for the return of Navajo Stirling?
