UFC's Next 'Champ Champ': 'Why Not?'

Becoming UFC “champ champ” is one of the most prestigious accomplishments the sport has to offer, but one of the next candidates to perhaps attempt the rare feat would probably need double the credit for taking on the scariest heavyweight champion in company history: Francis Ngannou.

But UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz revealed to RT Sport that he would be happy to jump up to heavyweight to fight Ngannou next for heavyweight gold.

“Why not?” Blachowicz said.

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Blachowicz Explains Why He’d Accept Fight

Blachowicz said he would accept the fight if that’s something the UFC offered him.

“I don’t have time for ‘don’t accept’ fight like this. If they want to make fight like this, I would accept it, no problem,” Blachowicz said.

While Blachowicz admitted defeating Ngannou would be a tremendous task for anyone right now, the Polish powerhouse believes he’s up for the challenge and that he would be successful.

“…He’s got amazing power…great power, but nobody has power like legendary Polish power,” Blachowicz said.

But Blachowicz has more than just power on his side. He recently stopped UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya from becoming just the fifth UFC “champ champ” in history by outmaneuvering the 185-pound champ over five rounds.

Blachowicz won the fight via unanimous decision at UFC 259, and now he’s expected to face Glover Teixeira next.

But Blachowicz is ready and willing to move up to the heavyweight ranks. In fact, he expects his career to end in that division.

“Why not?” Blachowicz said.

“…when I finish my career, it’s gonna be at heavyweight. I like to eat, I like food. I don’t like cutting weight but I have to do this right now. But, in the end of my career, I will finish my career at heavyweight. And I would like to just try to fight against the bigger guys.”

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Blachowicz Wants Jones Wherever and However

Blachowicz also expressed interest in facing UFC superstar Jon Jones. Poland’s second-ever UFC champ said he would fight “Bones” in either division, and that’s something he’s consistently stated since winning his belt.

“Now I am the king of 205, but he can come back to 205,” Blachowicz said. “I can meet him at 205 or at heavyweight, I don’t care. I’m just waiting for the next fight, for the next decision. If the UFC gives me Jon Jones, I would be happy. If not, I will be happy about my next opponent.”

Jones was originally supposed to face Blachowicz before the American vacated his 205-pound championship to move up in hopes of landing a lucrative superfight in the heavyweight ranks. Blachowicz stopped Dominick Reyes in the second round for the vacant title at UFC 253 in September 2020.

The new champion, Blachowicz, has consistently called out the old champ, Jones, for a megafight, but the American seems content to let his record-setting UFC light heavyweight run stand on its own merit.

Still, Blachowicz is now expressing he wants to move up to the heavyweight division someday soon, so the 38-year-old might end up tracking Jones down there.

That’s probably his only path to facing Jones, the preeminent fighter of the era and perhaps of all time.

Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson

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