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Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya are set to lock horns in the main event at UFC 259 this week. The Polish fighter has commented that he is not looking past The Last Stylebender's knockout power at Light Heavyweight.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of UFC 259, Jan Blachowicz acknowledged the striking prowess Israel Adesanya possesses. With 15 of his 20 MMA victories coming via knockout, the current UFC Middleweight Champion has proved his standup capabilities time and again.
However, it is uncertain if Adesanya will be able to knock out opponents at 205 lbs. Jan Blachowicz stated that he is aware of the weight discrepancy and will use this to his advantage.
"I'll try to knock him out. You know, defend myself the best I can. I'll try to use all my power, my weight to take him down or just knock him out. We will see. He is a really good striker so I have to watch for everything. Because he can also knock me out," said Blachowicz.
The Light Heavyweight Champion said he is delighted to make his first title defense against an undefeated fighter as Israel Adesanya holds a perfect record of 20-0. The Polish fighter is looking forward to handing the Middleweight King the first loss of his MMA career.
"I'm just happy that I can defend my belt against someone like Israel. So, that's it, I'm happy, excited and I cannot wait to step inside the Octagon and start fighting against him," said Blachowicz.
Will Jan Blachowicz move up to Heavyweight after fighting Israel A?
Jan Blachowicz is ready to put a halt to Israel Adesanya's plan to seize the Light Heavyweight throne. However, the Polish powerhouse mentioned that after successfully defending his title this Saturday, he will not jump to the 265lbs weight class.
"I'm not thinking about heavyweight. I'm thinking about 205 (lbs), defend my belt on Saturday, and then again at 205. So we will see. First of all, I have to go against Israel," said Blachowicz.
If Israel Adesanya secures the Light Heavyweight title this weekend he will become the fifth double champion in UFC's history. However, The Last Stylebender has a mammoth of a task ahead of him in defeating Jan Blachowicz.
"I've got this viking in front of me. So yeah, I'm looking straight at him. I peak ahead and see what the lay of the land is and how I can change history again," said Israel Adesanya.
There seemed to be mutual respect between the two champions as they squared off after the press conference. However, the intensity and hype surrounding this match is enormous.
