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‘First Step to Get the Belt Back’- Jan Blachowicz Says Aleksandar Rakic Is Next

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz believes his next opponent Aleksandar Rakic is his first step in the quest to regain the belt he lost to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267.

He will fight the third-ranked contender, ‘Rocket’, inside the cage on 26th March 2022.

Rakic, with only one loss in seven UFC fights, can be one tough fight for the former champion. However, Blachowicz claims he is aware of his opponent’s fighting style.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, he said, “I’ve watched his fights, so I know how he fights, how his style is: strong, explosive young guy – really, really tall, so that’s going to be a tough fight. He likes fighting standup. Good kickboxer.”

“I also like fighting standing up, so I think people are going to enjoy this fight. I think they’re going to see a lot of tough punches, kicks and stuff like this, so it’s going to be a really good fight, and I’m really happy.

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“Look – I just want to go inside the octagon because also this fight gives me some answers, and I want these answers, and that’s it. New adventure for me, new history, first step to get the belt back.”

While ‘The Polish Power‘ will focus on his own fights, other fighters may focus on one of his fights.

Jan Blachowicz Gives a Blueprint to Defeat Israel Adesanya

‘The Last Stylebender’ will soon defend his middleweight gold against Robert Whittaker. To avoid his UFC 243 mistakes, ‘The Reaper’ turned his attention towards the only fighter who has defeated Izzy in the promotion, i.e. Jan Blachowicz.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: Jan Blachowicz of Poland celebrates after his victory over Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in their UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The Polish fighter took on Izzy in a light heavyweight title bout at UFC 259 and earned a dominant unanimous decision victory. Now that ‘The Reaper‘ has finally earned his title shot, he is vigorously preparing for it.

In his recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Whittaker revealed how he will use Blachowicz’s blueprint in his title rematch against the champion. He said, “Patience, striking, and takedowns. I think those three things are what leads you to beat Israel.” 

However, it won’t be easy, as Izzy has shown wonderful improvements after each of his fights. What are your thoughts on Jan Blachowicz’s words? Let us know in the comments below.

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The post ‘First Step to Get the Belt Back’- Jan Blachowicz Says Aleksandar Rakic Is Next appeared first on EssentiallySports.