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UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be moving up to the 205-pound division to face Jan Blachowicz for the UFC light heavyweight championship on March 6th, 2021, as per reports.
According to ESPN's Brett Okamoto on Twitter, UFC President Dana White has confirmed the champion-versus-champion matchup.
At UFC 253 back in December, Israel Adesanya successfully defended his UFC middleweight championship against Brazilian top contender Paulo Costa. Earlier that night, Jan Blachowicz registered one of 2020's biggest upsets when he knocked out former title challenger Dominick Reyes to claim the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship. In the days following UFC 253, rumors of a super fight between the two champions began to surface.
The Israel Adesanya-Jan Blachowicz bout is something that has been discussed as a legitimate possibility since October. Talks of the super fight gained traction in the coming weeks, with Dana White saying that Blachowicz was indeed the next fight for Adesanya. White however did not specify a date yet. Blachowicz had made it clear that he would not be fighting any earlier than March due to the birth of his child. With this announcement, fans now have another fight to look forward to in 2021.
What does the Israel Adesanya-Jan Blachowicz fight mean for their respective divisions?
With UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz set to face off in 2021, the top contenders from their respective divisions will now have to wait a little bit longer for their opportunities at the title.
In the 185-pound division ruled by Israel Adesanya, the current number one contender is former titleholder Robert Whittaker. Whittaker cemented his place as the next in line for the title with a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 254 back in October. Unless Adesanya can breeze through Blachowicz without taking any damage, Whittaker might have to wait until the second half of 2021 before he can think about getting his world title rematch. If he decides that he wants to compete before then, there are a host of options for him to face in the stacked middleweight division.
In Jan Blachowicz's 205-pound division, the clear and rightful number one contender is Glover Teixeira. Teixeira has reeled off an impressive five straight victories, with the last two coming against former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. Regardless of who emerges as the 205-pound titleholder after March 6th, Teixeira will likely also have to wait until late-2021 for another crack at the light heavyweight title.
