Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has teased what made him get the better of Israel Adesanya at UFC 259.
Blachowicz earned a dominant win over Adesanya at UFC 259, which was Adesanya's first and only defeat in the Octagon. He has risen to stardom at middleweight despite falling short of double-champion status against Blachowicz.
A lot has changed since Blachowicz and Adesanya went to battle last year. Blachowicz went on to lose the title stunningly to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267, while Adesanya has defended his belt against Marvin Vettori and most recently against Robert Whittaker.
Despite being the light heavyweight titleholder in their matchup, some fans saw Blachowicz as the underdog against Adesanya. During a recent interview with Sportsnaut, Blachowicz explained what made his approach to Adesanya different than his other opponents.
“It was because I’m Jan Blachowicz, they are not,” Blachowicz said. “This is the biggest difference. In this fight, I took my legendary Polish power with me. That’s it. This is the secret, legendary Polish power. If I don’t forget it in the hotel room I beat everybody. If I forget it, not.”
Adesanya hasn't ruled out another attempt at light heavyweight after losing to Blachowicz. He's also been at odds with another former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones after a series of social media banter.
Blachowicz was supposed to face Aleksandar Rakic next month but had to withdraw due to an injury. The matchup is expected to be rescheduled for later this year.
If Blachowicz is victorious against Rakic and reclaims the light heavyweight throne, a rematch against Adesanya could be on the table. This would allow Adesanya to get vengeance at 205 pounds.
What did you make of the Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya matchup?
- Also check out: Looking at Israel Adesanya's Next Fight and potential opponents