Tag: Jan Blachowicz

Jan Blachowicz Names Vladimir Putin As The One Person He Wants To Fight

Jan BlachowiczFormer UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has named the Russian president Vladimir Putin as the one man he would like to fight. Jan Blachowicz will be returning to the competition for the first time after losing his title. Ahead of his upcoming bout against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Rakic, the […]

Jan Blachowicz

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has named the Russian president Vladimir Putin as the one man he would like to fight.

Jan Blachowicz will be returning to the competition for the first time after losing his title. Ahead of his upcoming bout against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Rakic, the ‘Polish Power’ connected with The Post’s Scott Fontana for a session of Q&A.

Starting off with conversations about his life-sized model, title loss to Glover Teixeira, and his next fight against Rakic, the 39-year-old was asked an interesting question given the political circumstances.

Blachowicz was asked if he could “fight any person who has ever lived”, who would he pick. The Pole took the opportunity to take a jab at the man heading the attack on Ukraine, Vladimir Putin.

“[Vladimir] Putin. I would show him what [the] whole world wants to show him, where is his place.”

Jan Blachowicz supports Ukraine

Earlier in February, Blachowicz had posted a Ukrainian flag on his Instagram as a sign of protest against the invasion by Russian military forces. Poland shares a border with Ukraine and the two countries have developed a stronger bond since the attack.

‘The Polish Power’ talked about the relationship between the neighbors and shared his thoughts on the ongoing developments.

“Whole Poland like that because you never know what’s going to happen. Whole lot of people from Ukraine escape to Poland. We try to help them. They live in our houses. We help them with how we can. Every day, you wake up, and first thing that you do, you check [the] internet [for] what’s happened, when it was the first week.

“Now, it’s people maybe [are] not used to that but don’t panic like in the first week of war. When you hear [a] weird sound, everybody [would] wake up and watch from the window what’s happened. But Ukraine, they good, they do great job. Nobody expected that they were gonna defend so tough. Russia, they kill children, women over there. They are not soldiers; they are murderers, what they [are] doing over there. I hope that this madness will stop.” (h/t NY Post)

While it’s unlikely he’ll get the dream matchup, his intentions behind the statement are clear. You can watch Jan Blachowicz’s comeback fight this May 14 against Aleksandar Rakic.

Jan Blachowicz Shares Injury That Forced Him Out Against Rakic: “It Was Completely Off, Paralyzed”

Jan BlachowiczFormer UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz shared the scary injury that forced him to withdraw from the fight against Aleksandar Rakic. Jan Blachowicz detailed how he lost control of one side of his body. Originally scheduled to face Aleksandar Rakic in March, ‘The Legendary Polish Power’ pulled out of the fight due to the […]

Jan Blachowicz

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz shared the scary injury that forced him to withdraw from the fight against Aleksandar Rakic.

Jan Blachowicz detailed how he lost control of one side of his body. Originally scheduled to face Aleksandar Rakic in March, ‘The Legendary Polish Power’ pulled out of the fight due to the pain in his neck that got progressively worse with time.

Speaking to MMA Fighting about the injury, Jan Blachowicz stated how the pain showed up without any discernible cause.

“I wake up [on] one of the Mondays, and I feel a pain in my neck,” Blachowicz said. “I think maybe I just slept bad, and that’s why I felt the pain. In the gym, we did some drills, and I took one shot on my guard, and I felt a really hard pain in my neck, and I cannot feel my left hand and left side of my body.”

The fear began to rise in the fighter’s mind as he realized the temporary paralysis of the left side of his body.

“It was completely off, paralyzed. Then I think, it’s not a normal pain. It’s something worse. I go to the doctor, we do an MRI and I have something [a disc] in my neck that puts pressure on the nerve. That’s why I had this feeling that I could not feel my left side.”

Not aware of what the exact issue is, Blachowicz feared the worst saying, “It was scary. You don’t know what happened. You can’t move your left hand. It was a weird feeling for me. A new thing, a scary thing.”

Jan Blachowicz’s road to recovery

Jan Blachowicz underwent initial examination and MRI scans to determine the cause of his injury. Based on the results, he was injected with medicine to help ease the pressure on his spine which led to his feeling sensations coming about again.

He was thankful for the quick treatment as he avoided the need for surgery on his neck.

“The doctor said we’ll see after three weeks [if you need surgery],” Blachowicz recalled. “If rehabilitation helps, then we don’t need surgery. If it doesn’t help, we’re going to have to do some surgery, but I’m a lucky guy. No surgery, just rehabilitation and medicine.

“They gave me some medicine, they put in my neck some medicine, four weeks of rehabilitation and I was ready to start my training again for 100 percent. I can train with that but only light technique, no sparring sessions, nothing hard. Just pads, bags, bikes, running something like this nothing hard. Four weeks of easy training and after four weeks of rehabilitation, I’m back to the gym and I started doing sparring sessions and everything at 100 percent. Now I’m healthy. I don’t feel pain, I feel good.”

Although he returned to training quickly, Blachowicz feels like he made the right call to delay the fight. They’ve now been rebooked for UFC on ESPN 33.

“Maybe a couple of years, I would do everything to do this fight, but now, I’m a little bit older, a little bit smarter,” Blachowicz said. “I cannot do stuff like that. After my UFC career, there is still life to do, living with my son and stuff like this so now first of all, I have to be healthy and then I can fight.

“I will not risk my health to doing that. First of all, I need to be healthy and then I can do the fights.”

Are you excited to see Jan Blachowicz take on Aleksandar Rakic at UFC on ESPN 33?

Chael Sonnen Names The Fighter Most Likely To Be Next Double Champ

MMA analyst and former mixed martial artist Chael Sonnen predicts that Khamzat Chimaev will likely be the next ‘champ champ’ in the UFC. “The Bad Guy” Chael Sonnen has a long MMA history. Since his retirement from the mat, he has been a strong voice in the world of combat sports. Sonnen offers his opinions…

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Names The Fighter Most Likely To Be Next Double Champ at MMA News.

MMA analyst and former mixed martial artist Chael Sonnen predicts that Khamzat Chimaev will likely be the next ‘champ champ’ in the UFC.

“The Bad Guy” Chael Sonnen has a long MMA history. Since his retirement from the mat, he has been a strong voice in the world of combat sports.

Sonnen offers his opinions and many predictions revolving around current MMA events. In an interview with The Schmo last month, Sonnen predicted who he thinks will be the next double champ in the UFC.

“Well, again, I’m not ready to write off Adesanya. I know that he was the closest just ’cause he got the opportunity, but I do think that Chimaev’s got some really hard work in front of him. But he is probably the guy, if you’re only giving me one option, he’s probably the guy most likely.”

That should add another boost to Chimaev’s confidence. The undefeated fighter has seen a lot of success and has a lot of hype surrounding him.

Chimaev has many targets on his radar and appears to be ready to be the next UFC double champ. He has called out Usman for a title shot and wants a piece of the Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya as well. After defeating Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, Chimaev is drawing closer and closer to the first world title shot of his young MMA career.

UFC Double Champions

Many fighters have claimed the throne of a weight class, but few have conquered in two.

Randy Couture, BJ Penn, and Georges St-Pierre have held titles in two separate weight classes. However, there are fighters who have held and defended two belts simultaneously.

Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor, Photo Credit: Twitter

Conor McGregor claimed the title of “champ-champ” when he defeated Eddie Alvarez in late 2016. It was the first time a fighter in the UFC held two belts at the same time.

Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes, Photo Credit: Zuffa LLC

One of the greatest female MMA fighters in the world, Amanda Nunes, was crowned the double-champ when she captured the featherweight title from Cris Cyborg after crushing Miesha Tate for the bantamweight belt. Although the bantamweight title was taken by Julianna Peña last December, Nunes is still the only woman in the UFC to hold two belts.

After McGregor, Daniel Cormier became the second double champ. He held the light heavyweight belt going into his match with Stipe Miocic at UFC 266. And upon defeating him, DC took the heavyweight title.

Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo
Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo, Photo credit: Getty Images

In addition, Henry Cejudo joined the ranks when he delivered a TKO to Marlon Moraes at UFC 238. The fight took place just months after Cejudo successfully defended his flyweight belt against T.J. Dillashaw.

Isreal Adesanya attempted to be next in line but came up short in his bout against Jan Blachowicz.

If Khamzat Chimaev continues on the dominant path he is currently on, then he is likely to achieve great things. Although some fighters and fans believe he is overhyped, there are many others who believe in his talents.

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev will be the UFC’s next double champ?

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Names The Fighter Most Likely To Be Next Double Champ at MMA News.

Sean Strickland, Jan Blachowicz Spar Over Russia-Ukraine Crisis

UFC stars Sean Strickland and Jan Blachowicz recently went at it on social media regarding their stances on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Strickland is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his UFC career against Jack Hermansson earlier this year. He’s won six straight fights and appears to be on the verge of…

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UFC stars Sean Strickland and Jan Blachowicz recently went at it on social media regarding their stances on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Strickland is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his UFC career against Jack Hermansson earlier this year. He’s won six straight fights and appears to be on the verge of a potential middleweight title shot.

Blachowicz is coming off his title loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. He’s expected to face Aleksandar Rakic later this year.

The debate between the two fighters started when Strickland questioned Ukraine fighting back against Russia and encouraged the country to surrender.

“Ukraine should just bend the knee and become Russian,” Strickland said. “I understand it sucks and yes you could win….. but do you really want to be the new Afghanistan for the next 30 years??? Not saying it’s right but this hard pill to swallow will be better in the end.”

Strickland’s thoughts on the crisis created quite the stir on social media. This prompted a response from Blachowicz, a Polish UFC star, and former light heavyweight champion.

“Would you? It is easy to give away someone else’s independence,” Blachowicz said. “The history of the Eastern European region is full of struggle and suffering. Ukraine – as a country and as a people – has endured much. Their resistance is understandable and admirable. Freedom!”

Strickland replied to Blachowicz’s tweet by doubling down on his original post regarding the conflict.

“35 days for Germany to take control of Poland,” Strickland replied. “The only reason why there is a poland is ww2. Poland isn’t Ukraine. Their children’s children will be living in the rubble of Ukraine struggle under a Russian flag in 5 years. That is the cost. Russian sanctions are Ukraine sanctions.

“That is the last thing I’ll say on this subject. Mark my words, what I say will come true, tell people to struggle, tell people to fight. There children’s children’s will live in poverty and destruction under a Russian flag. This is the reality.. Hard truths I know.”

Strickland and Blachowicz aren’t the only notable UFC fighters to make their voices heard on the Ukraine-Russia crisis. UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell made headlines in the leadup to UFC 272 when he gave his thoughts on the conflict and stated that he wouldn’t fight overseas if the U.S. government mandated it.

Additionally, Ukrainian fighter Maryna Moroz has shared how she has been personally impacted by the war, even losing some friends.

Strickland is never afraid to speak his mind on various topics, even when he’s questioned by one of the biggest names in the sport. The Russia-Ukraine crisis continues to be a hot-button issue among professional athletes.

Do you agree with Jan Blachowicz or Sean Strickland?

Continue Reading Sean Strickland, Jan Blachowicz Spar Over Russia-Ukraine Crisis at MMA News.

Jan Blachowicz Hits Out At Sean Strickland For Suggesting Ukraine ‘Bend The Knee’ To Russia

Jan BlachowiczThe former Light-Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has questioned the logic of his fellow UFC employee, Sean Strickland on social media recently, following the 30-year-olds controversial comments about the ongoing situation in Ukraine. This comes amid the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in Vladimir Putin leading a full-scale invasion of Russia’s neighboring country. In […]

Jan Blachowicz

The former Light-Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has questioned the logic of his fellow UFC employee, Sean Strickland on social media recently, following the 30-year-olds controversial comments about the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

This comes amid the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in Vladimir Putin leading a full-scale invasion of Russia’s neighboring country.

In doing so, many nations across the world have condemned his actions, as well as, continually trying to support Ukraine in any way they can to help aid with their astonishing resistance against Russia.

Sean Strickland offered his thoughts on the controversy, stating he believes that Ukraine would be better off if they were to “bend the knee” to Russia, than wasting innocent lives.

“Ukraine should just bend the knee and become Russian… I understand it sucks and yes you could win….. but do you really want to be the new Afghanistan for the next 30 years??? Not saying it’s right but this hard pill to swallow will be better in the end.”

Jan Blachowicz in response brought attention to Ukraine’s people’s right to independence and that he believes the fact that they are standing up for freedom, regardless of the consequences is admirable bravery.

“Would you? It is easy to give away someone else’s independence… The history of the Eastern European region is full of struggle and suffering. Ukraine – as a country and as a people – has endured much. Their resistance is understandable and admirable. Freedom!

Blachowicz, who is Polish by birth, is someone who can empathize with being invaded by the Russians. The Poles – who are also a neighboring country to Ukraine, have been one of the first countries to offer their support and seek refugees fleeing from their home country. 

When will we see Jan Blachowicz back in the octagon?

Blachowicz was targeting a headline return at UFC Vegas 52 on March 26, against surging contender Alexander Rakic. However, the 39-year-old pulled out of the fight due to a suspected injury.

It is still unclear when we will see the return of Jan Blachowicz, nonetheless, MMA fans should expect that whenever that day comes, he’ll be looking to make his return to the top of the pile of the Light-Heavyweight division.

What is you opinion on Jan Blachowicz response?

Jan Blachowicz Applies For “Legendary Polish Power” Trademark

The term “Legendary Polish Power” is now exclusive to former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz was slated to face Aleksandar Rakic next month but pulled out due to an injury. The matchup is expected to be rescheduled for later this year. Blachowicz has kept busy in his personal life after losing the belt…

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The term “Legendary Polish Power” is now exclusive to former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.

Blachowicz was slated to face Aleksandar Rakic next month but pulled out due to an injury. The matchup is expected to be rescheduled for later this year.

Blachowicz has kept busy in his personal life after losing the belt to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. He appears as motivated as ever to reclaim the light heavyweight throne and is having some fun in the process.

One element that has made Blachowicz particularly unique in MMA circles is his incredible power with his standup. He has showcased the ability to end the fight with one punch, as illustrated by finishes over Luke Rockhold and Dominick Reyes.

In a recent tweet, Blachowicz shared to his fans that he has trademarked the phrase “Legendary Polish Power” for his use alone.

“It’s official. #LegendaryPolishPower #LegendarnaPolskaSila,” Blachowicz shared.

Blachowicz’s legend rose to new heights after dismantling middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a super fight at UFC 259. In a bout in which many counted him out as an underdog, he controlled the pace of the fight from start to finish and mauled Adesanya with his grappling.

Despite the loss to Teixeira, Blachowicz appears in good spirits ahead of his UFC return. He’s looking to get back in the light heavyweight title picture if he can get past a top contender in Rakic.

Do you think Jan Blachowicz will get the UFC light heavyweight title back in 2022?

Continue Reading Jan Blachowicz Applies For “Legendary Polish Power” Trademark at MMA News.