Getty Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is confident he can make 185 pounds. And he wants a crack at current middleweight king Israel Adesanya’s gold.
“The Last Stylebender” regained his belt last weekend at UFC 287 by avenging his November TKO loss to Alex Pereira, and Blachowicz stands as the only other man with a win over Adesanya in mixed martial arts. They fought in March 2021 at UFC 259 when Adesanya vied for Blachowicz’s 205-pound championship and the title of “champ champ.”
“Polish Power” utilized his size advantage to control The Last Stylebender in the four and fifth rounds, which led him to a unanimous decision victory — as well as his first and only title defense. And now, the 40-year-old former champion sees it as the perfect time to move down a weight class to try and earn his second divisional strap.
“Congratulations on a successful rematch, @stylebender,” Blachowicz tweeted after Adesanya knocked out Pereira on April 8. “If you want to try another one, you know where to find me. This time at middleweight for your belt.”
Blachowicz Said He Needs 3 to 4 Months to Cut to Middleweight, Is Confident He Can Make It
Blachowicz spoke with Petesy Carroll about his challenge to Adesanya, as well as the feasibility of dropping to middleweight. The Polish combatant said that he had never fought at 185 pounds as a mixed martial artist, but when he competed as an amateur Muay Thai combatant, he weighed in at 91 kg (around 200.5 lbs).
“People need to believe a little bit more in me,” Blachowicz said. “And if UFC would like to make this fight, I will do it — no problem. I know how to do it. That will be great motivation for me, a big motivation. You know, to beat him [in] another one, another time. So yeah, why not? I’m ready [to do] that.”
“You’re such a big dude, though,” Carroll responded. “You’re a big guy, even for 205, light heavyweight. What makes you so confident?”
After joking he’d shave his beard and hair off to shed some pounds, Blachowicz said: “I find a way how to do it. And then, of course, how to do it and feel in very good shape in the fight.”
“If I was not [confident], I will not say that,” he continued. “But of course, I need a little bit more time. They have to give me like three, four months. Yes, 205 is easy for me. Three weeks like this, you know, but 84 (kgs), yeah, three months — for sure.”
Blachowicz Pointed to Adesanya’s Dominance at Middleweight, Calls Himself ‘A New Challenge’
Regarding the official UFC standings, Adesanya holds a win over every 185 pounder sitting in the top five. Further, Pereira recently announced he was moving to light heavyweight, derailing the idea that the two would compete in a middleweight trilogy next.
With all this, the door appears open for Blachowicz to potentially slide into an immediate title fight.
“He’s beat almost everybody in his division,” Blachowicz said of Adesanya. “He needs a new challenge. So, here I am. We met in my category. Now, we can meet in his category.”