With UFC 315 just hours away, all eyes are on the headline welterweight title clash between Jack Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad. But there’s another fiery showdown brewing that has fans buzzing—Ivan Erslan vs. Navajo Stirling. Erslan’s debut ended against Ion Cutelaba back in September 2024 in a razor-thin split decision loss, and now, anticipation is high for his return to the Octagon. Yet, fans aren’t just eager for redemption—they’re curious about what Erslan brings to the cage this time around.
Where is the fighter from, and what religion does he follow? Don’t worry — we’re back with all the details about his ethnicity and personal life. So without any further ado, let’s get started!
What is Ivan Erslan’s ethnicity and nationality?
Fighting out of Obrovac, Croatia, Ivan Erslan is a proud Croatian native with a reputation built on raw power and knockout finishes. While little is known about his personal life, his fighting record speaks volumes. It must be noted that he has fought for the KSW 205lbs title on two separate occasions, with his fight with Ibragim Chuzhigaev being a five-round slugger.
Representing American Top Team (Zagreb), Erslan boasts a professional record of 14 wins and 4 losses, with an impressive 10 victories coming by way of knockout. Before stepping into the cage, he worked as a pub bouncer—a job he credits as a stepping stone to his MMA journey. “I never had a normal job,” Erslan once said. “Being a bouncer was the easiest way to balance work and training,” said Erslan in his conversation with the UFC.
His job as a bouncer paid off when he made his professional debut in 2015, fighting under the Nokaut Fighting Championship banner. He was signed by the promotion last year and was scheduled to face Ion Cutelaba, but he lost that bout via split decision. Regardless, the fighter will be looking to turn his fortunes back at UFC 315. Now that we know about his ethnicity, let us have a look at his religion.
Which religion does Ivan Erslan follow?
What does the official data show? Well, His specific religious beliefs have not been publicly disclosed. However, if we take a detailed look at his title, ‘Erslan’, then we could see a similarity between him and the Turks. The surname ‘Erslan’ can be read as ‘Arslan’, which means lion in Turkish and can also signify ‘brave’. The title finds its origin in Islam and there is a high possibility that Ivan Erslan follows Islam.
However, according to Croatia’s 2021 government census data released on September 22, approximately 79% of the population identifies as Catholic. So, there’s a high chance he might be Christian as well. It must be noted that these are just speculative data, and they should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The Croatian native will be looking to return to the win column in his upcoming battle against Israel Adesanya’s City Kickboxing training partner, Navajo Stirling, but will he be able to break the Kiwi? Time will tell, for now, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.
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