Navajo Stirling Backs Adesanya’s Fresh Start

Navajo Stirling is heading into the UFC Belgrade co-main event with a major fight ahead, but his media-day comments also addressed a significant change at City Kickboxing. Israel Adesanya recently announced that he was ending his longtime connection with head coach Eugene Bareman and the New Zealand gym. For Stirling, the news did not produce resentment toward a fighter he described as someone who has given so much to the team and to fighters from the region.

Stirling said he was happy for Adesanya, framing the decision as an opportunity for a new environment rather than a reason for City Kickboxing to dwell on the loss of one of its best-known figures. His response offered a clear view of how he sees the situation: Adesanya’s contribution is respected, and the gym’s future is not dependent on one person. That distinction matters as Stirling prepares for Jan Blachowicz on Saturday, with the fighter emphasizing both personal preparation and the depth still available around him at the gym.

Stirling sees change as a positive step

Navajo Stirling said a change of surroundings can be valuable for a fighter. He explained that he understood the appeal of a fresh opportunity and said everybody at City Kickboxing wished Adesanya well. Rather than treating the separation as a conflict for the team, Stirling focused on the work Adesanya put into the gym over many years. Stirling also credited Adesanya with paving the way for fighters from New Zealand and Australia. His point was broader than one training room: he said Adesanya had created an example for athletes at City Kickboxing as well as other Kiwis and Australians from down under. In Stirling’s account, that influence remains part of Adesanya’s legacy even after the departure.

The timing gives Stirling’s words added context because he is preparing for what was described as arguably the biggest fight of his career. He faces Blachowicz in the UFC Belgrade co-main event on Saturday, a setting in which a fighter’s training environment naturally becomes part of the conversation. Stirling’s answer was direct: he said the gym had not become tougher to work in without Adesanya. Instead, he pointed to the number of athletes available at City Kickboxing, including established names and others who may be less familiar to the public.

City Kickboxing remains part of Stirling’s focus

Navajo Stirling said City Kickboxing is in a good spot and described himself as a big part of the next surging style of fighters coming through the gym. That is the practical side of his response to Adesanya’s exit. Stirling did not minimize Adesanya’s importance, but he separated that importance from the day-to-day ability of the team to prepare its fighters. He also said former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is now among the people helping him get ready for Blachowicz. The detail supports Stirling’s wider message about the gym’s depth: his camp still includes experienced help as he approaches the Belgrade bout. Stirling’s comments therefore delivered two connected themes, respect for Adesanya’s choice and confidence in the team that remains around him.

• Stirling said Adesanya deserved a fresh opportunity and that City Kickboxing wished him the best.
• Stirling said the gym still has plenty of training partners and support for his preparation against Jan Blachowicz.

Navajo Stirling enters Saturday’s UFC Belgrade co-main event with his attention on Jan Blachowicz, while speaking positively about Adesanya’s decision to move on from City Kickboxing. His message was not that Adesanya’s absence is insignificant. It was that Adesanya’s long contribution deserves appreciation, and that Stirling believes the gym still has the people and momentum to keep moving forward.

Sources: MMA Fighting; MMA News