Navajo Stirling Calls for Dagestan Training Stint With Islam Makhachev
Navajo Stirling wants to train in Dagestan with Islam Makhachev, offering to spend two or three weeks learning from the UFC champion's team.
Already undefeated in the UFC, Navajo Stirling believes a trip to Dagestan could take his game to another level. The New Zealand light heavyweight said that he would seriously consider training with Islan Makhachev and his team is the UFC welterweight champ extended an invitation. The 28-year-old even joked that there is absolutely nothing stopping him from making the trip, unlike some of the other American fighters Makhachev has invited in the past.
Stirling Wants to Experience Dagestan Firsthand
During an appearance shared by Uncrowned on Instagram, Stirling spoke about the possibility of joining Makhachev's camp, explaining why his invitations caught his attention.
“I would love to go to Dagestan,” Stirling said. “You see Islam throwing out invites and none of the Americans are taking it. He threw one out to Mighty Mouse. They’ve all got kids and whatnot, but man, I ain’t got no kids, bro.”
The City Kickboxing product then went on to suggest that he would not require years of training in Dagestan to truly benefit from the experience.
“If they ever threw me the offer, I don’t know about two or three years, brother, but maybe two or three weeks to start off,” Stirling said.
Soon enough, Makhachev's "two-three years to Dagestan and forget" line had become one of the most recognizable training jokes in the MMA world. The line was originally used while advising Daniel Cormier about sending his son to Dagestan to develop his wrestling skills. However, Makhachev later clarified that his advice was not meant as a joke but was completely genuine.
From City Kickboxing to Dagestan?
If Stirling were ever to go for any potential training stint, he would be coming in with an impressive record. The unbeaten light heavyweight champ is 11-0 as a pro, with seven knockouts and most recently stopped former UFC title challenger Jan Blachowicz in the first round at UFC Fight Night in August.
This win also put Stirling on the map as one of UFC's rising light heavyweights, with a matchup against Jiri Procházka scheduled for Nov. 21.
Currently, Stirling trains at City Kickboxing in New Zealand. However, with Makhachev continuing to sing praises of Dagestani training, the undefeated contender looks ready to find out for himself just what a few weeks with the region's best grapplers could do for his game.
