Jan Blachowicz cannot help but take satisfaction in the knowledge that Israel Adesanya will remember him for the rest of his days on Earth.
Jan Blachowicz was able to successfully retain his light heavyweight championship against Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 in a competitive and technical showcase of two of the best strikers in the UFC. For Blachowicz, he became the first man not named Jon Jones to defend the LHW title in three years. And to do so against a big name and a fellow champion in Israel Adesanya made the joy all the sweeter for Blachowicz.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. But it’s different a little bit,” Blachowicz responded at the UFC 259 post-fight press conference when asked how his first title defense felt. “Because I was the champion, now I defend my belt, so I proved that I’m true champion.”
Blachowicz Certain That Adesanya Will Never Forget Him
Israel Adesanya came into the fight with a flawless 20-0 record, but Blachowicz’s marvelous performance forced Adesanya to bid this record fare thee well. The majority of the bout was a nailbiter of a fight, but the final two rounds caused the suspense to disassemble in the eyes of the judges who were quite generous in their scorecards for Blachowicz.
While the numbers on these scorecards have already roused some spirited debates, one thing that is undeniable is that Adesanya is no longer undefeated because of one man. And even though the build-up to UFC 259 was cordial between the two competitors, it’s only human for Blachowicz to take pleasure in the fact that he is etched in his opponent’s legacy and memory forever.
“Always when you win the fight, it’s amazing feeling. But right now, because I went against someone like Israel, one of the best in the world, now he got 20-1, so he gonna remember me till the end of his life. (I’m) the first one who defeat him in MMA. It tastes much better, you know?” Blachowicz admitted.
Jan Blachowicz has stated that he plans to take at least six months prior to his next title defense, which has been confirmed to be against Glover Teixeira. And for his part, Israel Adesanya looks to return to middleweight, just as Blachowicz vowed he would ahead of the UFC 259 event.
What do you make of Jan Blachowicz’s satisfaction in the fact that Israel Adesanya will never forget him as his first loss in MMA?
