Midnight Mania! ‘Polish Power’ At Heavyweight? Why Not!

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Jan Blachowicz may be on the hunt for greener pastures.

The Polish striker has achieved great things in the Light Heavyweight division. After a tepid start to his UFC career, Blachowicz suddenly went on a tear, winning nine of his next ten bouts. That run included a UFC title and defense, including becoming the first man to defeat Israel Adesanya in the cage.

His championship reign came to an end opposite Glover Teixeira in October 2021. Since then, Blachowicz has been eagerly trying to regain gold. He came extremely close in a draw opposite Magomed Ankalaev, then coughed up a razor-thin decision to Alex Pereira in a likely title eliminator last time out. With different judges, he could be champion or at least in the immediate mix, but instead, he has little momentum at 40 years of age.

Perhaps a chance of division is the answer? Recently, Blachowicz hinted at moving down to Middleweight in pursuit of a rematch with Israel Adesanya. The Polish athlete thought better of that idea — seriously, how was he going to make 185 lbs. without lopping off a limb? — and is now discussing a potential move to Heavyweight.

And, he’s got a bold choice of opponent in mind.

“Of course. Why not? It sounds good,” Blachowicz told Sportsnaught in regards to a Heavyweight move (via MMA News). “You opened something in my mind, so yeah, we’re going to ask UFC about the opportunity of heavyweight. It’s something I have to think about.

“I need to watch them carefully, because when I watch the heavyweights I just watch for the fight. I don’t watch to analyze them. But [Tom] Aspinall did a great job in his last fight. That would be something very good for me for the first fight stop in heavyweight.”

Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights jumping between divisions isn’t uncommon. Notable names like Ovince Saint Preux and Ilir Latifi have jumped up with mixed results, while others like Tanner Boser and Chris Daukaus have begun shedding extra weight and chasing success at 205 lbs.

Physically, Blachowicz would appear to have the power and durability to compete amongst the big boys. His kickboxing is excellent, but whether or not his grappling could stand up to the largest wrestlers in the sport would definitely be in question. Ultimately, it would be a really exciting change of pace if nothing else.

Do you want to see Jan Blachowicz at Heavyweight?

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Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.