Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 259, we will get to see a champion take on another champion. The middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (20-0), is moving up to light heavyweight to challenge the king at 205, Jan Blachowicz (27-8).
What a career turnaround it’s been for the UFC‘s light heavyweight champion. Just a few years ago, Blachowicz was 2-4 in six fights inside the octagon. Blachowicz had his back against the wall and was on the verge of getting cut by the UFC.
That’s when he really started to dedicate himself to his career. Blachowicz won four straight fights which included wins over Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, and Nikita Krylov. He then suffered a setback against Thiago Santos just before reaching a title shot.
After that, the “Polish Power” really kicked in. Blachowicz knocked out Luke Rockhold and Corey Anderson to earn himself a title shot against Dominick Reyes. At UFC 253, Blachowicz stopped Reyes in the second round to become the first male champion from Poland.
That same night, Israel Adesanya was defending his middleweight title against Paulo Costa. It was a dominant performance and Adesanya defended his UFC title for the second time. Having run through the middleweight division, Adesanya was seeking a new challenge.
With the end goal of fighting Jon Jones, Adesanya decided to move up and try to capture the UFC light heavyweight title. Adesanya has become one of the biggest stars in the sport and he’s on the verge of doing something truly special.
UFC 259 Prediction
The UFC 259 main event is going to be so much fun. You have arguably the best striker in all of MMA taking on someone who has ungodly power and unquestionable will. I’m so fascinated by this matchup, but the avenues for victory are very clear for both men.
Jan Blachowicz cannot fight Israel Adesanya the way he fought Dominick Reyes. Yes, he has that famous Polish Power, but if he tries to kickbox with Adesanya from the outside, he’s going to get lit up like a Polish Christmas Tree.
Adesanya is so good at utilizing range and gauging the timing of his opponents. For Blachowicz to be successful, he needs to come forward with instant pressure. He needs to force clinches, look for takedowns and ways to keep Adesanya from getting comfortable.
For Adesanya, he needs to keep the fight at range. If he can keep Blachowicz off of him, he’s going to become a two-division UFC champion. Now, who do I think is actually going to be successful in this?
I think it’s just Israel Adesanya’s time right now. Blachowicz has had an incredible run to the title, but I think it ends tomorrow night. I think the speed and accuracy is just going to be too much. By the third round, I think the final shots will find their target and Israel Adesanya will be the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Prediction: Israel Adesanya by TKO – Round 3