Jan Blachowicz’s reign as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion won’t be as short as some predicted. Despite being the underdog against the undefeated challenger Israel Adesanya in the main fight of the UFC 259 on Saturday night, Blachowicz managed to rise to the occasion and keep his belt with a unanimous decision win (49-46, 49-45, 49-45).
Adesanya, who is currently the UFC Middleweight champion, was fighting in the Light Heavyweight for the first time against Blachowicz. His aim was to become just the fifth fighter in the history of the promotion to hold belts in two divisions simultaneously.
Still, going against the bigger Blachowicz proved to be a challenge that Adesanya couldn’t overcome, although the 31-year-old Nigerian downplayed the impact of the size difference after the fight.
“I wouldn’t say size because I can hurt big dudes,” said Adesanya. “I think it was just his defense. He was really tight with his defense and smart with his defense.”
With this win, Blachowicz continued with a surprisingly dominant run in UFC in recent years. He won nine out of his 10 last bouts and is currently on a five-fight winning streak.
“Everybody is different. I just found a way how to be the best,” said Blachowicz. “No question, I’m the best. I’m the best in the world.”
Adesanya, on the other hand, suffered his first professional loss. He was previously 20-0 in MMA, including having a 9-0 record since his UFC debut in early 2018.
