Jan Blachowicz Says He’s Not Ready to Fight Israel Adesanya Until March

Newly crowned light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is targeting his return in March. Being a champion has its perks, as now the Polish star can set the terms regarding when and who he fights.

Blachowicz beat Dominick Reyes for the title vacated by Jon Jones in the co-main event at UFC 253. With ‘The Devastator’ going into the fight as the favorite, the outcome shocked MMA fans across the globe.

Now, Blachowicz is spoilt for choice. UFC president Dana White confirmed that the promotion was in negotiations to book a title defense against the middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

‘The Last Stylebender’ has had a long-standing feud with Jon Jones, and there was always the possibility of him moving up a weight class. Now, he is set to pursue his UFC ‘Champ-Champ’ ambitions, albeit against the new king of the light heavyweights, Jan Blachowicz. 

This would be a massive fight for Jan Blachowicz, with Adesanya being one of the most popular stars in the UFC right now. Speaking to ESPN MMA’s Ariel Helwani, the fighter revealed that he would like to return in March against anyone the UFC books him against. With respect to Adesanya, he said, “If Israel wants to wait, no problem.”

Jan is also expecting the birth of his newborn in December. As anyone would expect, the fighter would like to be there for the occasion so as to take care of his wife and their family’s newest member. Following that, he could return to top-level training.

The coronavirus pandemic will play a role in Blachowicz’s return to the Octagon

Like most global citizens, Blachowicz too has his life dictated by the pandemic. He spoke about the situation in his home country.

“In Poland right now, the situation is not so good, and we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. Right now, we train normally,… but nobody knows what our government is preparing for…We’ll see what’s going to happen later.”

While contract negotiations with the UFC are currently ongoing, Blachowicz is optimistic. However, he revealed that nothing was set in stone just yet.

The light heavyweight champion ended with a special message for the middleweight champion. He said, “Prepare for legendary polish power.”

Whether it will be Adesanya or the winner of Santos vs Teixeira this weekend, Jan Blachowicz can dictate the terms. Who do you see him making his maiden title defense against?

Also Read: “He’s Afraid of Me” – Jan Blachowicz Issues a Statement on Jon Jones