ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] believes he is fighting for a title shot at UFC on ESPN+ 25, and he is confident in his ability to dethrone [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] of the light heavyweight belt.
Blachowicz (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is set to rematch Corey Anderson (13-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in Saturday’s main event. It’s a crucial fight for the 205-pound division, especially coming off Jones’ (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) hotly contested title defense against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 this past weekend.
Although the UFC hasn’t said it with certainty, there’s a good chance the matchup between Blachowicz and Anderson could produce the next title challenger. Blachowicz said he expects to be that guy and said he has the recipe to unseat “Bones.”
“I think that I know how to beat Jon Jones,” Blachowicz told MMA Junkie at UFC on ESPN+ 25 media day on Thursday. “I will find a way to beat him and I will be this guy to take the title from him.”
Blachowicz said he watched the match between Jones and Reyes with a keen eye. He felt Jones was the rightful winner in the midst of all the decision controversy, and now it’s on his end to prove he deserves the shot with a big performance of his own.
Blachowicz said UFC on ESPN+ 25, which takes place at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., and streams on ESPN+, is an important career moment. Not only can he state his case for the belt, but he can also avenge a key career loss.
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Anderson defeated Blachowicz by unanimous decision at UFC 191 in September 2015. The wrestling of the American got the better of the Polish fighter that night, but Blachowicz said he’s come a long way since. He doesn’t so much point to tactics for that loss, either, and said it was mainly a problem of imperfect travel.
“I don’t have jet lag (this time),” Blachowicz said. “My body is good because in our first fight, after two minutes of the fight I was completely exhausted, but I was able to go until the end of the fight, so it’s also some kind of substance for me. But now I’m good. I came to Rio Rancho more than two weeks ago, no jet lag. But this time it’s going to be a completely different fight. But I think Corey is going to do the exact same. He’s going to try to use his boxing to take me down and control me from the top.”
Blachowicz said there’s not much of a personal element to the fight with Anderson, but his competitive side is excited to avenge a loss. He doesn’t think his opponent is giving him the proper credit because of how the first fight went, and Blachowicz said he intends on showing Anderson how much he’s improved over the past four-and-a-half years.
“I think he doesn’t have respect for me,” Blachowicz said. “He beat me in an easy way in our first fight, but after this fight he changed opinion about me. I’ll try to teach him respect in the fight. … The best way for me would be to knock him out, then I will be next for the title shot.”
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