It’s been talked about for months, and now it has a date. The champ vs. champ fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya is set to go down at UFC 259 this coming March.
ESPN was first to report the news on Wednesday, citing UFC President Dana White. The bout will see Blachowicz putting his 205lb title on the line, and Adesanya looking for gold in a second weight class.
The move comes following the exit of Jon Jones from the light heavyweight division. Vacating his championship paved the way for Blachowicz (27-8) to knock out Dominick Reyes for the vacant title last September at UFC 253. With middleweight title holder Israel Adesanya (20-0) defeating Paulo Costa the same night, the timing for a champ vs. champ battle was nearly perfect.
Serving as the main event of UFC 259, Blachowicz vs. Adesanya could very well lead to the much anticipated clash between Adesanya and Jones — should “The Last Stylebender” come out victorious, and Jones opt to stick around 205lbs for one last fight. A Blachowicz win would likely see him remain focused on the light heavyweight division, while Jones tests that waters at heavyweight.
UFC 259 takes place March 6, 2021 at a location and venue yet to be determined. A second title fight, featuring double-champ Amanda Nunes defending her featherweight belt against Megan Anderson, is also slotted in as the co-main event.
