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The Polish star Jan Blachowicz faced Dominick Reyes for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship on September 27, 2020, at UFC 253. He won the fight via TKO in the second round to become the new UFC light heavyweight Champion. A professional mixed martial artist since 2007, he was also the former KSW light heavyweight champion, which is the largest promotion in Poland.
While we all know Jan Blachowicz for possessing Polish power, here we take a look at three lesser-known facts about the champ:
3. Jan Blachowicz is a close friend of former UFC fighter Tomasz Drwal.
The UFC light heavyweight champ is a close friend of Tomasz 'Gorilla' Drwal who had a brief stint in the UFC. The middleweight Polish fighter holds a 3-2 UFC record. Back in 2009, Jan Blachowicz accepted an invitation from Drwal to train at the Thowdown Training Centre in San Diego, California. In one training session, Blachowicz ended up damaging his ACL while shooting for a takedown, which was a potential career-ending injury. After returning to Poland, he had a knee reconstruction surgery followed by a lengthy rehabilitation program.
2. Blachowicz's success after returning to his old coach
The big Pole did not live up to his potential in his early UFC days and started off his career with a 2-6 record. As revealed to MMA Junkie, Blachowicz had changed camps after signing with the UFC and admitted that it was a mistake. He returned to train with his old coach Robert Jocz after dropping a majority decision to Patrick Cummins in 2017 and kicked off an 8-1 run. Jan Blachowicz is currently on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC.
1. Blachowicz carries a noose for luck
As stated in an interview with Polish media, Jan was taking a hike through the forest with his two dogs when he saw a guy standing in the trail. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the guy was hanging. What was even more bizarre was the fact that his feet were touching the ground, which, as revealed later was due to a stretched neck. A policeman suggested that Jan Blachowicz carry a piece of the rope for luck, going by a popular Polish superstition.
Jan has carried the rope to every fight ever since and his 8-1 run sparked off after the rope chapter began.
