Jan Blachowicz wants to run things back with Israel Adesanya – at middleweight.
After Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) reclaimed his middleweight title with a knockout of Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 headliner last Saturday, former foe Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) called him out.
Blachowicz handed Adesanya his first-career loss when he stopped his attempt at becoming a two-weight champion in 2021 at UFC 259. Blachowicz has since lost his light heavyweight title, but now he wants to go after Adesanya’s 185-pound belt. Blachowicz has never fought at 185 pounds but assures he could make the weight.
“People need to believe a little bit more in me,” Blachowicz said in an interview on “The Craic with Peter Carroll.” “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 another one, another time. So yeah, why not? I’m ready to do that.”
He continued, “I find a way how to do it. And then, of course, how to do it and be in very good shape in the fight. If I wasn’t, I will not say that. 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.”
With Adesanya having already beat the majority of the top-ranked contenders at middleweight, Blachowicz doesn’t see the idea of them rematching all that farfetched.
“He beat almost everybody in this division, so he needs a new challenge,” Blachowicz said. “So, here I am! We met in my category; now we can meet in his category.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
