Navajo Stirling trolls Kennedy Nzechukwu, who KO'd teammate Carlos Ulberg, after UFC Sacramento loss to Shamil Gaziev

Navajo Stirling appears to have trolled Kennedy Nzechukwu, in addition to simultaneously jibing at Shamil Gaziev. 

Navajo Stirling trolls Kennedy Nzechukwu, former opponent of CKB teammate Carlos Ulberg, after UFC Sacramento loss

Kennedy Nzechukwu previously competed in the UFC light heavyweight division. The Nigerian combatant made waves back in March of 2021, knocking out the then-highly touted prospect Carlos Ulberg in their 205-pound divisional matchup. That loss, at UFC 259, marked the first and thus far only of Ulberg's professional MMA career. 

Coincidentally, the UFC 259 card was headlined by then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz handing then-UFC middleweight titlist Israel Adesanya his first MMA loss. Their light heavyweight title clash saw Blachowicz beat CKB (City Kickboxing) gym superstar Adesanya via unanimous decision. 

Adesanya trained at Auckland's CKB for around 16 years before his much-publicized exit from the gym earlier this year. Ulberg, too, long trained at CKB alongside Adesanya.

Well, Ulberg rebounded from the loss to Nzechukwu by accruing a 10-fight win streak and becoming the UFC light heavyweight champion. "Black Jag" is still a member of the gym, as is fellow UFC light heavyweight Navajo Stirling.

"ONE TO THE CHIN IS ALL IT TOOK!"

Shamil Gaziev just knocked out Kennedy Nzechukwu 👊 #UFCSacramento | Stream TNT Sports on HBO Max pic.twitter.com/2rkfsMlJR1

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 22, 2026

Meanwhile, Nzechukwu returned to the heavyweight division in 2024. He's gone 2-2, with one draw, in the UFC's 265-pound weight class thus far. The towering fighter's latest Octagon outing saw him suffer a frightening first-round KO defeat at the hands of Dagestan-born heavyweight Shamil Gaziev at Saturday's UFC Sacramento event. 

Given the history between his CKB teammate Ulberg and Nzechukwu, Stirling appears to have resorted to trolling the heavyweight. 

In what seemed to be a jibe at Nzechukwu and Gaziev, Stirling addressed the UFC Sacramento knockout and wrote the following in an X post: 

"Dam imagine getting done by Gaziev like that." 

Dam imagine getting done by Gaziev like that 😭

— N A V A J O (@navajostirling) August 23, 2026

Shamil Gaziev seeks to continue heavyweight ascent; Navajo Stirling eyes fights with UFC light heavyweight elites

During his post-fight Octagon interview with UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, Shamil Gaziev indicated that he'd like to fight again this year, ideally in Qatar when the UFC does organize an event there again.

The win over Nzechukwu marked the end of Gaziev's two-fight losing streak, having been stopped via KO against Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Brando Pericic. The Russian-Bahraini fighter has signaled that he's looking to continue ascending the heavyweight ladder. 

On the other hand, many believe that Navajo Stirling could be knocking on the door of a UFC light heavyweight title shot sooner rather than later. The Kiwi kickboxing veteran cemented himself as a threat at 205 pounds by stepping in on short notice to stop former divisional ruler Jan Blachowicz via first-round TKO at UFC Belgrade on August 1. 

The 28-year-old boasts an unbeaten 11-0 professional MMA record. He stands at the No. 7 spot in the UFC light heavyweight division, per the official Meta UFC rankings. His training partner Carlos Ulberg is on a knee injury-induced hiatus and is aiming to defend his title soon, even hinting at a future heavyweight move. 

Considering the variables at play, speculation has abounded that Stirling might soon cross paths with Ulberg for UFC light heavyweight gold, while a new teammate of theirs -- the legendary Robert Whittaker -- also makes his way up the divisional ranks. 

On his part, Stirling, after beating Jan Blachowicz, called out UFC light heavyweight elites Paulo Costa and Khalil Rountree Jr. to face him next.