UFC 282: Blachowicz on matchup vs Ankalaev, elevation to main event
Polish power Jan Blachowicz gave his team a simple message after being the last to find out about his shock shot at reclaiming the light heavyweight belt.
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Polish power Jan Blachowicz shook off flight fatigue, told his team to grab their luggage and get to the gym immediately after being the “last person” to find out he suddenly had a shot at reclaiming the light heavyweight belt.
Blachowicz, who usually heads straight to his hotel to jump in bed after a lengthy flight, landed in Las Vegas full of energy when he switched his phone back on to discover his bout with Russian Magomed Ankalaev had been elevated from co-main event to the headliner.
It came after the light heavyweight belt was vacated by the incumbent Jiří Procházka, who will be out for months due to a badly injured shoulder.
Blachowicz gave his team a simple message: “we have to train”.
“When I stepped inside the airport, turned on my phone and I saw this message, I was so full of energy, happy and excited,” the 39-year-old Blachowicz said.
“That was a very crazy couple of hours for me. I was last to know about the title show.
“I'm happy because more time for me inside the octagon (increased from three rounds to five), if I’m going to need it – 25 minutes – I’m going to use it. I think this fight will not go so far. But anyway, for me, it’s better.”
Standing in the way of his path back to the belt at UFC 282 on Sunday is well-rounded Dagestani force Ankalaev, who is on a nine-fight win streak and claims an imperious 18-1 record.
“It's impressive, and it’s time to stop it,” Blachowicz said.
“I've got a lot of respect for him. He’s a good fighter everywhere – standing up and wrestling on the ground. So I have to be ready for everything but I’m ready for everything.”
Blachowicz was the first fighter to defeat Israel Adesanya when defending the belt in March 2021, having initially won it when he beat Dominick Reyes via TKO in 2020.
But he lost the belt to Teixeira in September last year, who was then stripped of it by Procházka. Brazilian Teixeira did not want another tilt at the belt until January, opening the door for Blachowicz’s surprise chance to reclaim it.
He wants to bring the belt back to Poland.
“They’re waiting for this, and I just have to give it to them. I need to use this chance, and I will do everything I can do to take that home,” he said.
“When I become a champion, I know that I feel a little bit in Poland like a national treasure.
“The whole of Poland will watch this fight. They wait for this fight and I'm excited with that kind of support.”
Originally published as UFC 282: Blachowicz on matchup vs Ankalaev, elevation to main event
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