Jan Blachowicz doesn’t really care who he fights for the light heavyweight title after UFC 291, but he definitely has an ideal scenario in mind.
With a promise that he will compete for gold with a win over Alex Pereira in the co-main event — and a freshly vacated title in the division — Blachowicz has long desired the chance to face Jiri Prochazka, with hopes that the UFC would travel back to Europe for that fight. With Blachowicz hailing from Poland and Prochazka from the nearby Czech Republic, there’s little doubt that a clash between those two with a UFC title on the line could potentially break attendance records.
“The UFC has to do this fight somewhere in Europe,” Blachowicz told MMA Fighting. “In Poland, it’s going to be the biggest fight in Europe’s history.
“It will be a great show, a very huge show. I believe if they do it in Warsaw in the national stadium, I believe it will be full. I believe in that, people will come and support me — and not only me, but Jiri because the Czech Republic is very close. We’re going to have a very big, a very nice event with 60,000 people. It will be an amazing show, but first I need to win against Pereira.”
For Blachowicz, becoming champion again has always been his end goal, but any time he addresses a potential title shot, he always circles back to his fight against Pereira.
Fighters are often accused of looking at the future rather than the present threat in front of them, which is a mistake that Blachowicz refuses to make.
The entire premise surrounding his upcoming fight at UFC 291 was built around the promotion offering him a title shot with a win, so Blachowicz understands that all goes away if he can’t get the job done on July 29.
“I’m fighting, and if I win, I’m going to have a title shot,” Blachowicz explained. “This is a very important fight for our division. I’m just happy.
“I know what is on the line, but right now I’m only focused on Pereira. First of all, I have to do my job and knock him out or submit him.”
Of course, when Blachowicz accepted this fight, Jamahal Hill was still champion, and all signs pointed towards Hill battling with Prochazka before the end of the year. Sadly, Hill has since ruptured his Achilles’ tendon, which forced him to vacate the light heavyweight title.
Whether he was fighting the winner of Hill vs. Prochazka or now potentially competing for a vacant title, the goal has always remained the same for Blachowicz when it came to his own fight with Pereira.
“I wanted Alex Pereira,” Blachowicz said. “I don’t need extra motivation for him. I know when I beat him, my next fight is for the title. That’s why.
“I don’t know what the rest of the guys [in the division] are doing. Maybe vacation, maybe holidays. I just want to fight, and after the fight, I’m going to have a holiday. I’m 40 so I don’t have time to rest. I need to do the fight, take the title shot, take the belt back to Poland.”