Jan Blachowicz has delighted in derailing the UFC’s ambitious plans for Israel Adesanya after his victory over his superstar rival at UFC 259, claiming chiefs need a ‘Plan B’ when they pit their stars against him.
Adesanya, 31, entered the Las Vegas fight on the cusp of history as The Last Stylebender attempted to become only the fifth UFC star to become a two-weight world champion, having dominated the middleweight ranks.
Moreover, a win for the Nigerian-New Zealander would have all-but sealed a mega-fight with arch-rival Jon Jones in what would be one of the biggest fights the organisation has staged.
However, Blachowicz’s unanimous points decision victory, in which he kept Adesanya honest on the feet before scoring big takedowns in the later stages, means that those plans have taken a devastating blow.
‘Yeah, I knew they had some plans with Adesanya, they would make the fight with Jon Jones if he beat me,’ Blachowicz, 38, told Just Scrap Radio on BJPenn.com. ‘But, And Still, and I destroyed those plans.
‘The victory is a little bit better. The UFC will always need to have a Plan B when they have a big star fight me.
‘I understand the business. I know he is one of the biggest stars in the UFC. Maybe it would have been better for them but I don’t care. For me, it is better I won.’
For Blachowicz, a clash with fellow veteran Glover Texeira appears the most likely option for his next title defence. The Brazilian weighed in as an alternate at UFC 259 and the pair were seen exchanging words after the fight.
Adesanya called for a rematch in the immediate aftermath of the result in Sin City, but the Polish knockout specialist has laid out his terms for what the middleweight king needs to do to cement a shot at his 205-pound title.
‘I understand him because he lost the fight and wants a rematch,’ Blachowicz added.
‘He has also beaten everyone in his division. Maybe in the future, we do this. First of all, when he comes back to 205, I think he needs to fight someone in the top 10 and beat them and maybe then we get the rematch.’
Where Adesanya goes from here remains unclear. The 31-year-old has revealed he would like to take on Britain’s Darren Till, although rematches with old rivals Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa could be on the cards.
