Jan Blachowicz

UFC: Jon Jones says he’s never returning to light heavyweight

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UFC, Jon Jones

Earlier this year, Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) vacated his UFC light heavyweight championship. Jones decided to vacate the title to pursue a new challenge in the heavyweight division. He first captured the light heavyweight title in 2011.

Jon Jones might be the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen. Jones has never truly lost inside the octagon. His lone loss is a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill in a fight that he was completely dominating.

Outside of that, he’s rarely been challenged over the last 12 years in the UFC. In reality, Jon Jones has been the only opponent that has been detrimental to Jon Jones. Jones’ issues outside the cage have cost him time in his career and his title a couple of times.

Nevertheless, Jones has overcome those issues and had a great stretch over the last two years in the octagon. All starting at UFC 232 when he finished Alexander Gustafsson to regain the light heavyweight title.

After that he defeated Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes by decision. Not the most dominant performances, but in the end, they show up as successful UFC title defenses for Jones.

Jones has been so dominant that he appeared bored at times when fighting. In my opinion, this boredom or lack of fear caused for some bad performances. Still, he’s come through all of his fights with his hand raised.

UFC Future for Jones

Jon Jones is in the process of building up his body for his next chapter in the UFC‘s heavyweight division. In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Jones discussed the decision to move to heavyweight and vacate the light heavyweight title.

“The reason why I decided to vacate the light heavyweight belt and not hang onto it is that I knew my move to heavyweight was going to take a really long time. I have no intentions of ever going back to light heavyweight,” Jones said.

Jones also said that the current plan is for him to face the winner of the UFC heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic (20-3) and Francis Ngannou (15-3). Those two are expected to fight in March with Jones fighting the winner in the summer or fall.

Jones also talked about the challenge of both saying, “I’ll be ready for either of them. Both fights are extremely challenging. Stipe, he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time. And then Francis is just a freak when it comes to his knockout power, and he’s improving constantly.”

He then added, “Both fights are gigantic challenges, but that’s what I’m here for in this stage of my career. Go big and see what I’ve got.” Jon Jones understands that capturing the UFC heavyweight title would cement him as the greatest to ever do it.

He said he wants to capture the title then defend it two or three times before retiring from the UFC. Outside of the heavyweight title is of course the potential matchup with rival Israel Adesanya (20-0).

Adesanya is moving up to fight Jan Blachowicz (27-8) for the light heavyweight title at UFC 259. If Adesanya wins and Jones wins, the UFC might try to make a superfight. It would be the first time a two-division champion would take on another champion.

State of the UFC’s light heavyweight division entering 2021

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Corey Anderson

Last night, we got big announcement for the light heavyweight division. At UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz (27-8) will be defending his light heavyweight crown against the middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (20-0).

It’s a massive fight with huge implications for the UFC‘s light heavyweight division. 2020 has been a very fascinating year at 205 pounds. When the year started, Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) was getting ready to defend his title against Dominick Reyes (12-2).

The fight took place at UFC 247. Reyes pushed Jones to the absolute limit and many believed that he won that fight. However, all three judges awarded Jones the decision and Jones walked away with his title.

Shortly after that, Jan Blachowicz knocked out Corey Anderson who was looked at as the next top contender. Jones was in attendance and the two men did a little talking through the cage. It appeared that would be the next title fight.

However, Jones decided to vacate his UFC light heavyweight title to pursue the heavyweight title. When Jones vacated, the promotion booked Blachowicz against Dominick Reyes for the vacant title at UFC 253.

Dominick Reyes was an uncrowned champion in the eyes of many in the MMA community after his fight with Jones. However, his uncrowned reign didn’t last long because Blachowicz knocked him out in the second round to capture the light heavyweight title.

UFC’s light heavyweight division in 2021

As mentioned, we already have the first title fight booked for UFC 259. Now, depending on who wins that fight, there are different fights that could be booked. If Blachowicz retains his title, Glover Teixeira (32-7) will be next.

The 41 year old Teixeira is riding a five-fight winning streak. He had an incredible 2020 where he finished former title challengers Anthony Smith (34-16) and Thiago Santos (21-8). However, he’s being passed over for Adesanya at this time.

The UFC has said that he’s the next contender, but the promotion is always about booking the biggest fights. While it’s not fair to Teixeira, his fight against Blachowicz is no where near as big as Adesanya moving up.

If Adesanya wins at UFC 259, I don’t see Teixeira getting the next shot. The reason is that I think the UFC will do everything they can to book the fight between Adesanya and Jon Jones should Adesanya capture the light heavyweight title.

Jones is intent on becoming heavyweight champion over the summer. Imagine a fall blockbuster that pairs the two-division champion, Adesanya, against the new heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.

That is the current status at the very top of the division. The contender I have my eyes on as we enter 2021 is Jiri Prochazka (27-3-1). Prochazka hasn’t lost in five years and he made his debut with the promotion at UFC 251.

He’s a very entertaining fighter and he put Volkan Oezdemir to sleep when they fought. He fights Dominick Reyes in February in a pivotal matchup for the division. 2021 is going to be interesting year for the light heavyweights.

I honestly don’t know what path the division is going to go down. The paths are vastly different depending on who wins at UFC 259 between Blachowicz and Adesanya.

State of the UFC’s middleweight division entering 2021

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Last night, we learned that the UFC‘s middleweight champion is officially moving up in weight for his next fight. Israel Adesanya (20-0) is moving up to light heavyweight to fight Jan Blachowicz (27-8) for the light heavyweight title at UFC 259. 

Adesanya is trying to become just the fifth fighter in the promotion’s history to hold two belts at the same time. There have been a lot of questions surrounding Adesanya’s future at 185 with him moving up.

The UFC middleweight champion has been very vocal about his desire to potentially fight Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) in 2021. If the UFC makes that fight should Adesanya win the light heavyweight title, the middleweight strap would be on ice.

However, Adesanya has said that he will definitely return to the UFC’s middleweight division no matter what. He stated that 185 is his natural weight class and where he feels the best. This move is to just challenge himself and further his legacy.

In all honesty, the move is actually a good thing for the middleweight division. There are great fights inside the division, however, Adesanya has defeated most of the fighters that sit inside the top ten.

UFC’s middleweight division in 2021

The top contender in the middleweight division is former UFC champion, Robert Whittaker (22-5). Whittaker went on an incredible run to grab the middleweight title, but was easily defeated by Adesanya last October.

Since then, Whittaker took out two of the more compelling contenders in the division. He defeated Darren Till (18-3-1) and Jared Cannonier (13-5) by decision. Both of those fighters were guys Adesanya was interested in fighting.

However, Whittaker turned them away. With the way Adesanya defeated Whittaker last year, the champion isn’t motivated for the rematch at this time. The word is that the UFC is looking to book Whittaker against former title challenger, Paulo Costa (13-1).

Costa was just knocked out by Adesanya at UFC 253. Prior to that, many thought he was the most dangerous contender in the division. There is preliminary talk about that fight being for an interim title, but that’s far from confirmed.

The two fighters I have my eyes on entering 2021 is Marvin Vettori (16-4-1) and Kevin Holland (21-5). Vettori has busted through in 2021 on the heels of four straight wins to fifth in the middleweight rankings.

The Italian middleweight has already lost to Adesanya, but he lost by split decision. One big win for Vettori in 2021 could make him next in line. Kevin Holland was our breakout fighter of the year in 2020.

Holland has become a star after going 5-0 this year. The entertaining middleweight gets his first main event opportunity against Derek Brunson (21-7) in March. Should he win that, he could be just a win away from a title shot.

If Holland can get a couple of wins, he’s probably the most compelling UFC challenger at 185 for Adesanya. There’s a little beef there already, and the fight’s buildup would be a lot of fun. Should be an interesting year at middleweight.

BREAKING: UFC officially books Israel Adesanya – Jan Blachowicz

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UFC fans got some exciting news this evening. Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the promotion has finalized a light heavyweight title fight between champion, Jan Blachowicz (27-8) and middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (20-0).

The fight will headline UFC 259 that will take place on March 6th. For Israel Adesanya, he will try to become just the fifth fighter in UFC history to hold two world titles at the same time. He would join Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, and Amanda Nunes.

Stylebender is coming off of arguably his best performance of his career at UFC 253. That night, Adesanya was taking on Paulo Costa (13-1) who was expected to be his toughest challenger. However, he was completely outclassed by Israel Adesanya.

Adesanya went on to stop Costa in the second round of their title fight to retain his middleweight championship. Immediately after the fight was over, there were questions about what would be next for the UFC middleweight champion.

UFC Champion vs Champion

In the co-main event at UFC 253, a new light heavyweight champion was crowned. After a decade that just saw either Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier rule the division, there was going to be a new king.

Jones vacated the light heavyweight championship with the desire to chase the heavyweight crown. With Jones moving up, Jan Blachowicz took on Dominick Reyes (12-2) for the vacant title.

Reyes had just lost to Jones in a fight that many believed he won. Some were even calling him the uncrowned UFC champion. However, at UFC 253, the uncrowned champion ran into some serious Polish Power.

Blachowicz completely ran through Reyes on his way to securing a second round finish. Poland’s Blachowicz has completely turned his career around and now he’s on top of the light heavyweight mountain.

However, he’s going to have his hands full in his first fight. With Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly retired, you could make the argument that Adesanya is the best pound for pound fighter in the UFC.

If he’s able to move up and capture a second world title, it would be hard to argue. Adesanya’s move up to light heavyweight also shows his seriousness in his desire to fight Jon Jones. That could be a fight the UFC aims to make in 2021 if Adesanya is able to beat Blachowicz.

Anthony Johnson on his UFC return: “I’m trying to bury everybody”

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Anthony Rumble Johnson

One of the most terrifying knockout artist in the history of the UFC is getting ready for his return. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (22-6) will be returning to action in 2021 after retiring back in 2017.

Back at UFC 210, Rumble was submitted for the second time by Daniel Cormier. Cormier turned away Rumble in his only two attempts to capture the UFC light heavyweight championship. After the second fight, Rumble announced his retirement. 

He stated in his post-fight interview that he wanted to focus on other things. However, it seems that Rumble has caught that fighting passion again. He’s not playing with this comeback that was announced a few months ago.

Johnson entered the USADA testing pool and should be eligible to fight in March. He made it no secret that he’s planning on taking down whatever’s in his way at 205. In an interview he posted on his Instagram page, Rumble made no secrets about his plan.

When asked about who he’s targeting in the UFC, Johnson replied, “Everybody. I’m not going to call out just one person. I’m trying to buy everybody.” Terrifying words from the knockout artist.

Rumble’s UFC return

We are getting closer and closer to Rumble Johnson making his return to the UFC. He’s doing it at a great time considering the light heavyweight division is wide open. Jon Jones vacated the title to move up to heavyweight and the division has a new king.

Jan Blachowicz reigns over the light heavyweights at the moment. The Polish Power is on an incredible run and he’s got a bigtime fight in the works with the current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

When it comes to contenders at light heavyweight, the number one contender is Glover Teixeira. Teixeira has gone on an incredible run of winning five consecutive fights. If Adesanya wasn’t moving up, Glover would be getting a UFC title shot.

However, with Adesanya getting the next shot at Blachowicz, Teixeira will have to wait his turn. It’s worth noting that Teixeira was knocked out in 14 seconds by Rumble Johnson. Not saying they would, but maybe the UFC asks Glover if he wants a rematch while he waits.

However, I don’t think that fight’s likely. Another option for Johnson could be a guy like Johnny Walker. Would be a winnable fight for Rumble, but a fun one for fans.

One thing is for sure, I expect a big name in Rumble’s UFC return. If he comes back and looks like he did a few years ago, he’s only one win away from a title shot in my eyes.

State of the middleweight division after UFC Vegas 16

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This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 16, there was some movement in the middleweight division. Fourth ranked Jack Hermansson (21-6) took on thirteenth ranked, Marvin Vettori (16-4-1) in the main event.

Vettori was the third opponent that was scheduled to face Hermansson, but The Joker was ready no matter who he fought. However, it was evident from the opening bell that he might have bit off more than he could chew.

Vettori was incredibly impressive at UFC Vegas 16. He dropped and nearly finished Hermansson in the first round of their fight. The rest of the fight, outside of the third round, Vettori controlled the action. He seemed to take the third round off for rest.

In his first UFC main event, Vettori shined. After the win over the fourth ranked fighter in the division, you should expect to see Vettori jump into the top five when the rankings come out this week.

In other middleweight news, the fifth ranked middleweight in the UFC, Yoel Romero, was recently cut by the promotion. The four-time title challenger is just one of many big cuts coming from the UFC according to Dana White.

UFC Middleweight Division Outlook

The middleweight division is in an interesting spot right now. There is a clear number one contender and that’s Robert Whittaker. The former UFC middleweight champion has only lost one fight in the last six years.

That fight was to the current UFC champion, Israel Adesanya. A rematch between the two will happen eventually considering Whittaker is 2-0 since the lost and defeated both men Adesanya was interested in fighting.

However, Adesanya is moving up to light heavyweight for his next fight to challenge Jan Blachowicz. We don’t know when Adesanya will return to middleweight, but the UFC champion insists he’ll be back to 185 eventually.

After Whittaker, there are a couple of matchups which could really make an impact on the division. Vettori is likely going to face Derek Brunson or Paulo Costa next. Whoever wins those fights might be right behind Robert Whittaker.

Jack Hermansson is still in the mix, but he needs to bounce back. A potential matchup for him could be the winner of the Chris Weidman – Uriah Hall fight in February. Or he could potentially fight Darren Till. Lots of moving parts, but exciting times in the UFC‘s middleweight division.

UFC: Jan Blachowicz eyeing a future move to heavyweight

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Corey Anderson

The UFC‘s light heavyweight champion doesn’t plan on staying at 205 for the rest of the career. Poland’s Jan Blachowicz sees his title reign at light heavyweight ultimately leading him to the UFC‘s heavyweight division.

The UFC‘s Polish Power has turned around his career in a major way over the past couple of years. If you go back to 2017, you will find a dejected Jan Blachowicz who had just lost his second consecutive fight in the octagon.

After losing a majority decision to Patrick Cummins, Blachowicz knew he needed to take his career more serious. He really started to focus and train harder than he ever had before. The results since have been astonishing.

Since that loss to Cummins at UFC 210, Blachowicz has gone 8-1 with the only loss coming to former title challenger Thiago Santos. Somehow, Blachowicz seems to be getting better and better with age.

Blachowicz will turn 38 in February of next year. However, he’s on a stretch that proves that age is just a number. In his last four fights, Blachowicz has defeated Luke Rockhold, Jacare Souza, Corey Anderson, and Dominick Reyes. He won three of those by knockout.

UFC’s future heavyweight?

This run has seem Blachowicz reach the mountain top and become UFC light heavyweight champion. However, he’s still not satisfied. Blachowicz is disappointed that he never got the chance to fight Jon Jones.

Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title this year when Blachowicz was the number one contender. Blachowicz told Submission Radio that he believes the UFC‘s pound for pound GOAT is dodging him because he knows he will lose.

“That’s (A fight against me) gonna be his first loss at heavyweight. I’ll give him first loss at 205, or maybe heavyweight. We will see. But, he does everything to not fight against me.”

When asked about a potential move to heavyweight, Blachowicz said, “I would like to stay in 205 a little bit longer. But it’s also hard because nobody knows what Jon Jones is doing right now. I think two more years at 205 and then I will go to heavyweight.”

The UFC‘s light heavyweight champion made it clear that he wants to move up to chase Jon Jones. However, he acknowledged that there’s two roadblocks in his way. He must first defeat Israel Adesanya and Glover Teixiera before he moves up.

“First of all, I have to win against Glover or Israel, and after this fight we can talk about Jon Jones. I don’t care. I believe I catch him (Jones) in future somewhere, at 205 or at heavyweight.”

The UFC’s Light Heavyweight Dilemma

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Corey Anderson

The UFC has a very complicated situation that is developing in their light heavyweight division. It all started back in the summer when Jon Jones announced that he would be vacating the light heavyweight championship following his incredible run.

Jones said he wanted to focus on capturing the UFC‘s heavyweight title. Following Jones’ departure, the UFC announced that Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes would fight for the vacant light heavyweight championship.

Blachowicz went on to knock out Reyes to capture the title back at UFC 253. A fight was setup to take place before this matchup between Glover Teixeira and Thiago Santos. The fight was looked at as a title eliminator. The winner was said to be in line to face Blachowicz next year for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.

However, a wrench was thrown into the plans here. Last week it was announced that Israel Adesanya would be moving up for a UFC light heavyweight championship match. He’s expected to take on Jan Blachowicz at some point early next year.

Last Saturday at UFC Vegas 13, Glover Teixeira defeated Thiago Santos. The 41 year old won his fifth straight fight making him the clear number one contender in the light heavyweight division. However, because of the Adesanya fight, we have no idea when Teixeira will actually get a shot.

UFC’s Current Situation

When it comes to selling, Israel Adesanya challenging for the title is much bigger than Glover Teixeira for the UFC. Adesanya is a superstar who has the chance to become an even bigger star by capturing his second championship.

For the sake of the article, let’s say that Adesanya is able to defeat Blachowicz next year to capture the title. Glover Teixeira will just get the first crack at Adesanya right? Unfortunately for the 41 year old contender, it’s not that easy.

Adesanya recently said that he would still plan on fighting at 185 and defending both titles if he were to win. There’s a good chance that he would move back down after capturing the light heavyweight title to rematch with Robert Whittaker.

Even if he decides to stay at 205 for back-to-back fights, the likelihood that Teixeira would get the first title shot is low. If Adesanya defeats Blachowicz, the UFC will likely do everything they can to book the Adesanya – Jon Jones fight.

This would be the biggest fight that the promotion could possibly make. However, it would be at the expense of Glover Teixeira. With the Adesanya – Blachowicz fight in the works, the best thing for Glover’s chances is a Blachowicz win. However, if Adesanya wins, God only knows when Teixeira will actually get the shot he deserves.

What’s next for Glover Teixeira after UFC Vegas 13 victory?

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Anthony Smith, UFC

This past weekend at UFC Vegas 13, Glover Teixeira (32-7) made a big statement with his victory. Teixeira was the underdog as he took on former title challenger, Thiago Santos. Santos was making his UFC return after a lengthy layoff due to knee injuries.

The last time we had seen Santos, he fought to a split decision with Jon Jones. He did that essentially on one leg. Prior to that, he had knocked out current UFC light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz when they fought. Many were expecting another knockout from Santos.

As the fight got started, it looked like that’s where we were headed. Santos wobbled Teixeira badly in the opening seconds. However, Teixeira remained poised and he was able to land a takedown. Once the fight got to the ground, it was all Teixeira.

However, in the third round, Santos appeared close to another finish. A massive left hook floored Teixeira. Santos followed up with vicious shots on the ground, but Teixeira wouldn’t go away. Teixeira reversed the position to end up on top.

Following that, an exhausted Santos gave up his back. Once Teixeira had his back, the end was near. Teixeira locked up a rear naked choke and forced Santos to tap out. This was the fifth straight UFC victory for the 41 year old Teixeira who’s enjoying a massive career resurgence.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 13?

There should be a really clear answer to this question. Following UFC Vegas 13, Glover Teixeira should be getting a shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship. The man deserves a shot after stringing together five straight victories.

This fight was originally looked at as a title eliminator. However, it’s not that clear anymore. The prior weekend saw Dana White announce that middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, would be getting the next crack at Jan Blachowicz. 

With that in mind, it appears that the UFC will have to figure out something else for Teixeira. Teixeira is in a really tough spot right now. If he decides to compete again before getting his title shot, there aren’t a ton of fights out there for him.

One potential option would be a rematch with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Rumble will be making his return to the UFC in 2021. When fought previously, Teixeira was knocked out in 14 seconds. Perhaps a rematch is in order considering a title shot might not happen anytime soon.

UFC Vegas 13 Preview: Thiago Santos – Glover Teixeira

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Tomorrow night, the UFC returns for their thirteenth live event at the APEX. In the main event of the evening, Thiago Santos (21-7) will take on Glover Teixeira (31-7) in a battle of two top ranked light heavyweight contenders.

Originally, this fight was looked at as a title eliminator. After Jan Blachowicz defeated Dominick Reyes at UFC 253, this winner of this fight was supposed to get the title shot. Originally, this fight was supposed to take place in August.

Then it was supposed to take place in early October on Fight Island. However, a battle with COVID-19 for both men pushed the fight back twice. That’s how we landed on the two headlining the UFC Vegas 13 card.

However, due to the fight being pushed back a few times, Blachowicz has found himself a new opponent. The UFC is planning on booking Blachowicz against middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Thus, the winner of tomorrow night, will have to wait their turn.

The turn of events makes you feel really bad for both men. Neither one of them could control getting sick, but because of the delays, a sexier fight for the UFC has appeared. While tomorrow’s fight is still big, the significance has gone down a little for the UFC.

UFC Vegas 13 Prediction

I have been very excited about this fight for a while. If you would have asked me who I thought was going to win about a year ago, I would have told you that Santos would win easily. Santos looked extremely good in his title shot against Jon Jones.

He fought that fight essentially on one leg after tearing his knee apart. Teixeira is 41 years old, but somehow he’s turned his career around. Four straight victories for the former title challenger have put him right back in the UFC‘s title picture.

In my opinion, Teixeira needs to try to grapple tomorrow night. He can hold his own on his feet, but a fully healthy Thiago Santos is a tough guy to deal with when it comes to striking. I’m expecting Teixeira to try to use his wrestling to get the fight to the ground.

However, Santos has proven that he’s not the easiest person in the world to get to the ground. I think Santos is going to be able to keep this one standing, and I think he’s going to make a big statement tomorrow night about why he should be the next UFC title challenger.

Prediction: Thiago Santos by TKO – Round 3