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The super-fight between Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz for the latter’s light heavyweight title finally has a date. The two superstars will face off in the main event at UFC 259 on March 9th, 2020.
Per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto’s Instagram post, Israel Adesanya will look to become a two-division belt holder as he fights the Polish powerhouse Jan Blachowicz for his 205-pound strap.
Izzy already holds the middleweight strap with the UFC.
The bookmakers are excited about the fight and understandably so. According to the betting website, Oddsshark.com, Israel Adesanya will start as the -255 favorite. This means that a bet of USD 255 will reap a benefit of USD 100 in case ‘The Last Stylebender’ comes out on top.
The Polish champion Blachowicz starts as a +215 underdog meaning a USD 100 investment on Jan would ensure one walks away with USD 215 in case he wins the contest.
Sportsbettingdime.com also opens with similar numbers. They have Israel Adesanya as a -250 favorite while Jan Blachowicz is currently a +210 underdog.
The odds could change dramatically though, as we get nearer to the date of the fight.
While Izzy is surely a fan favorite, the numbers are a little surprising as Blachowicz is the bigger fighter having fought all his professional MMA fights at light heavyweight.
Can Israel Adesanya make history at UFC 259?
History beckons Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 as it is not just about holding two titles simultaneously.
Fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, and Conor McGregor have all held two weight division straps at the same time.
But no one has ever conquered the 185-pound and the 205-pound weight class at the same time in the UFC. Izzy can be the first to do so.
Efforts to finalize the fight have been made since October. Dana White had initially shown an interest in having Adesanya rematch Robert Whittaker but the Aussie decided to spend the festive season with his family.
Izzy was then allowed to fight for the light heavyweight title.
Jan Blachowicz became the first UFC light heavyweight champion in nine years not named Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier.
He defeated Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 and won the strap after Jon Jones had relinquished the title earlier in the year.
Win, lose or draw, the meteoric rise of Israel Adesanya can not be ignored. He may end up doing in three years with the promotion what fighters dream about their whole careers.
