After two historic head-to-heads with Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka came face-to-face with Jamahal Hill inside the UFC 311 cage in Los Angeles, knocking his opponent out in the third round. Proving himself to be better than the two, the Czech then called out Alex Pereira for yet another shot at the title. It’s a little hard to get a title shot against a man who knocked you out twice, after a record of 2-2 in your last four. This is especially true since ‘Poatan’ is set to face the #1 contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Fans know this, and it seems, even Joe Rogan is aware of it as he paid homage to a certain ‘senior’ former LHW champion.

On the JRE MMA Show #165, the UFC commentator hosted Jiri Prochazka and the pair shared their views on things inside and outside the Octagon. One such topic of discussion was Jiri Prochazka sitting at the number two spot on the light heavyweight rankings, with both him and Magomed Ankalaev eyeing the title against ‘Poatan.’ But while ‘The Czech Samurai’ and the Russian could be legitimate threats to Alex Pereira’s reign, one name fans keep forgetting, according to Joe Rogan, is Jan Blachowicz.

The podcast host said, “A lot of people are forgetting about Jan Blachowicz. [I] always like to give him his props because Jan Blachowicz is still one of the best fighters in the world.” In fact, Joe Rogan further added that he would like to see the Polish fighter get the title shot now. “I would like to see him get another shot because he’s also 41 or 42 now, and he doesn’t have much time left in his prime. Jan has maintained [himself], even at 40 years old, still doesn’t show any signs of deterioration.”

Even Jiri Prochazka agreed with the veteran UFC commentator. On the podcast, ‘The Czech Samurai’ revealed to Joe Rogan that whenever he thinks about his next opponents, the three names that always come to his mind are Magomed Ankalaev, Alex Pereira, and Jan Blachowicz. So, it would be interesting to see if Dana White books a fight between him and the #3 ranked UFC light heavyweight for title contention.

If Blachowicz wins the fight, it would be a nightmare for Alex Pereira, as the last time they fought at UFC 291, it was a close match in which Pereira somehow managed to find a decision win. In fact, the Polish fighter knows it too since he also called for a rematch.

Jan Blachowicz calls for a rematch with Pereira

Jan Blachowicz has been away from the Octagons for around a year and a half after getting surgery done on both shoulders. After some time off, the veteran seems ready to make up for the lost time by setting goals for the final stretch of his career. The main one on the list seems to be the rematch against Alex Pereira, whom he faced in July 2023.

Back then, the Polish fighter and ‘Poatan’ had a nail-biter of a fight that Pereira won by decision. Since then, the former champion has expressed discontent with the decision and wishes to avenge his name. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Jan Blachowicz revealed that he believes he defeated ‘Poatan’ in their first meeting. Now, to cement his status as a title contender against the Brazilian champion, the veteran is working on his return to action.

He said, “I want to remind people how tough I am, because I think people forget that I won against Alex Pereira. He just won because the referee helped him, in my opinion. I have a draw with Ankaleav; those are the most dangerous fighters in our division right now. I think people just forgot about me.” To remind MMA fans of his pedigree, Blachowicz will face Carlos Ulberg on March 22 in London. Currently #3 in the rankings, even with the hiatus in his career, the former champion is looking for a rematch.

What do you think? Should he get to face Jiri Prochazka before the title shot? Let us know in the comments.