Jan Blachowicz believes the stakes are high heading into his UFC Rio Rancho fight against Corey Anderson this weekend. The 36-year-old is confident in picking up the win, getting a title shot and dethroning long-time champion Jon Jones. Speaking to MMA Junkie at UFC on ESPN+ 25 media day, he said.
“I
think that I know how to beat Jon Jones. I will find a way to beat him and I
will be this guy to take the title from him.”
For
Blachowicz this fight is bigger than just figuring out who the number one
contender is. On Saturday at the Santa Ana
Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico he has the chance to avenge a key career
loss against Anderson. The pair first met in 2015, with Anderson emerging an comfortable
winner over three rounds. However, the Polish fighter insists it’ll be much
different this time.
“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.”
“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.”
Who wins
when Jan Blachowicz and Corey Anderson meet in the UFC Rio Rancho main event?