Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was the -205 favorite when he moved up to light heavyweight vs. Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 in 2019; Rockhold lost, and hasn’t fought since. Corey Anderson beat Blachowicz in 2015 and was the -223 favorite heading into a #1 light heavyweight contender fight at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in 2020; Anderson lost, and now fights in Bellator MMA. Dominick Reyes was coming off a close decision loss to division GOAT Jon Jones, and was the -250 favorite to beat Blachowicz at UFC 253 in September for the title vacated by Jones; Reyes lost, and hasn’t fought since.
Now undefeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is moving up to challenge Blachowicz for the 205 title at UFC 259 on March 6, and he’s the -275 favorite. As you might imagine, “Prince of Cieszyn” isn’t bothered.
I’m always the underdog and I always win the fight, said Blachowicz to Damon Martin for MMA Fighting. It’s really nice. I’m happy. I could be the underdog every time. Maybe after this fight when I win this fight, I believe I will win this fight, maybe after this fight people will start believing in me, respect me and that’s it. But anyways, I don’t care about this.
A funny story, after I beat Rockhold, I was also an underdog there and one guy after the fight came to me and said ‘thank you my friend, because thanks to you I’m a rich man right now’ and I said what happened? He said thanks to me he won $50,000. So it’s nice to hear something like that after that. Maybe right after this fight, someone will win big money also.
Adesnaya and his camp have talked about winning at light heavyweight, and then challenging Jones at heavyweight.
I don’t care. It’s not my business, said Blachowicz. I focus about me, about my camp, about my preparation, to not get injured. I focus about me. To be ready for everything what he prepares for me.
I don’t care what he’s thinking about right now. That he’s got respect for me or not. If he thinks about ‘when he beats me, he’ll go to heavyweight.’ I don’t care. I just want to be the best shape ever in this fight and beat him. This is everything I’ve got inside my head.
He’s a good fighter, a really good fighter. He’s a champion. Nobody defeat him. 20-0 also so he is good, he has to be good but it’s time for 20-1. I believe that I’m going to be the first one to beat him, and I believe I will do it.
Call it UG, will Adesanya be 20-Blachowicz?
