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This past Saturday saw former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz pick up his first win since losing his title, as he stopped Aleksandar Rakic in the third round of an excellent fight.
This weekend’s win has kept Jan Blachowicz firmly in the 205-pound title picture, so with that in mind, who should the promotion match him with next?
Given how close he is to the top of the light heavyweight division, there will be no shortage of prospective opponents for him, so selecting one will be an interesting question, particularly as many of the fighters there are currently booked.
With that in mind, here are five possible opponents for Blachowicz following his victory this weekend.
#5. Jan Blachowicz vs. Ryan Spann
Given that he’s ranked at No.1 in the division right now, technically ahead of the next title challenger, Jiri Prochazka, the logical path for Jan Blachowicz would seemingly be to wait for a title shot in the near future.
However, given that Prochazka doesn’t face Glover Teixeira in their title bout until mid-June, it’s likely that any title fight for Blachowicz would come in early 2023. That means that if he wants to stay active, he’ll need an alternative opponent.
One fighter who could fit the bill in that case is Ryan Spann, who picked up a big victory of his own this weekend by choking out the dangerous Ion Cutelaba in the first round of their clash.
‘Superman’ is currently ranked at No.13 in the division, but could rise up a couple of spots this week. Even if he doesn’t, though, he’s more than capable of giving Blachowicz a test. Spann is a large 205lber who stands at a rangy 6’5”, and he’s also got finishing skills in all areas.
However, the veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t the most durable fighter in the division and his aggressive style would probably leave gaps for an experienced fighter like Blachowicz to exploit.
Overall, this would be a highly-exciting bout to watch, but it’d also be one that Blachowicz would be favored to win, making it a potentially attractive fight for him.
#4. Jan Blachowicz vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Keeping with the theme of Jan Blachowicz needing to fight in the interim before any future title shot, another solid opponent for him could be Ovince Saint Preux. Given that both men have now been with the UFC for almost a decade, it should hardly come as a surprise that the two were actually booked against each other back in February 2017.
That prospective fight fell apart when Blachowicz withdrew with an injury, allowing Volkan Oezdemir to step in (and ironically, begin a run that took him to a UFC title shot) and in the years that have followed, the fight has not been re-booked. But could it make sense now? Perhaps.
Once considered a genuine title contender, even facing Jon Jones for an ill-conceived interim title in early 2016, Saint Preux is no longer ranked in the top 10 at 205 pounds and is arguably past his prime at this stage.
However, he still carries some level of name value, as he’s headlined numerous UFC shows over the years and has largely faced the best of the best at light heavyweight, including Jones, Glover Teixeira and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua on two occasions.
Saint Preux’s latest fight saw him outpoint Rua, in fact, and it’s arguable that his performance was the best he’d produced in a number of years. He’d be expected to lose if he were to be matched with Blachowicz, but equally, he could also test the Polish fighter on the ground.
This would be another winnable fight for Blachowicz, but given the name value of ‘OSP’, it might be worth pursuing, particularly as it could easily headline a Fight Night card.
#3. Jan Blachowicz vs. Thiago Santos or Jamahal Hill
Right now, most of the top fighters in the UFC’s light heavyweight division are booked up, meaning that Jan Blachowicz may end up looking at fighting the winner of one of those upcoming big fights. One such fight sees Thiago Santos face the surging Jamahal Hill in August.
Right now, both men are in the top 10, with Santos sitting at No.6 and Hill below him at No.10. It’s safe to say that, coming into the fight, the momentum lies with ‘Sweet Dreams’. Hill recently defeated Johnny Walker in violent fashion to move his UFC record to 4-1-1, while ‘Marreta’ last fought in a losing effort to Magomed Ankalaev.
However, if the Brazilian were to knock off Hill, he’d be right back in the mix for a title shot. More to the point, his 2019 knockout win over Blachowicz probably means that the Polish fighter would love a rematch to attempt to take his revenge anyway.
Hill, meanwhile, would make for a genuinely exciting opponent for the former champion, and the winner of such a bout would almost certainly be guaranteed a crack at the title afterwards.
It’s likely that the winner of this one wouldn’t be ready until the winter of 2022 at the earliest, leaving Blachowicz with a length waiting time, but it’s still a clash that could make sense for him.
#2. Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev or Anthony Smith
Another huge upcoming fight in the light heavyweight division sees Magomed Ankalaev face off with Anthony Smith, and this bout could have massive implications as to who Jan Blachowicz fights next.
Essentially, Ankalaev, who is on the longest winning streak in the division with eight straight victories in the octagon to his name, is expected to be handed a title shot should he defeat Smith in impressive fashion, leapfrogging Blachowicz in the process.
However, if the Dagestani were to lose to ‘Lionheart’, then any idea of a title shot would be out of the window. Smith would also not be likely to be given a shot at the champion, making either man a prospective opponent for Blachowicz.
Of the two, naturally, Ankalaev would be the more fascinating prospect, as his takedown is remarkably difficult to stop and wrestling is something that Blachowicz has struggled with in the past.
On the other hand, Ankalaev has never fought an opponent quite as accomplished as Blachowicz before. If the Polish fighter could keep the bout standing, then he could find himself at an advantage. Basically, it’d be a genuinely intriguing clash.
A fight between Smith and Blachowicz would have less intrigue, but it would certainly be a watchable fight between two of the most exciting fighters in the light heavyweight division right now.
In conclusion, it’s likely the UFC would simply push Blachowicz into a title fight should Ankalaev lose to Smith. However, if the Teixeira vs. Prochazka fight were to require an instant rematch, the Polish fighter against either ‘Lionheart’ or the Dagestani would work well.
#1. Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira or Jiri Prochazka
Naturally, the fight that would be most attractive to Jan Blachowicz following his win over Aleksandar Rakic would be a clash with the winner of the upcoming Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka fight, with the UFC light heavyweight title on the line.
Has Blachowicz truly earned another shot at the title? In all honesty, it’s a little debatable. The Polish fighter’s win over ‘Rocket’ did come via a knee injury, after all, but it’s arguable that he was beating Rakic before that happened, and at the end of the day, he’s still ranked at No.1 in the division.
More to the point, Blachowicz would represent an excellent test for either Teixeira or Prochazka in a title defense. Sure, Teixeira pretty much whitewashed him when they first met in the headliner of UFC 267 last year, but Blachowicz has claimed that he’d have lost to anyone that night, such was his mental state.
If Blachowicz were to fight at his best, then his striking power and solid takedown defense would make him a tricky match for the Brazilian, but a fight with the explosive Prochazka might be even better.
Both men would look for the knockout should they face off, and given that ‘Denisa’ hails from the Czech Republic, the UFC could easily headline a major show in Europe with this title bout and promote it as a huge deal.
Basically, unless Teixeira vs. Prochazka has a controversial outcome that requires a rematch, there’s no reason why Blachowicz shouldn’t face the winner next, even if the fight doesn’t happen until early 2023.
