The Pro Take: Jan Blachowicz Hands Adesanya His First Loss at UFC 259

By
Justin Gibbons
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Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya, UFC 259
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 05: (L-R) Opponents Jan Blachowicz of Poland and Israel Adesanya of Nigeria face off during the UFC 259 weigh-in at UFC APEX on March 05, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Champ versus champ super fights don’t come around often in MMA. But in a sport known for its rather chaotic and mischievous deities, the MMA gods blessed UFC 259 with exactly that. Not to mention two other title fights, and a 15-fight card that miraculously held together.

While many super fights have been lost in the fray of MMA over the years (GSP vs. Silva, Lesnar vs. Fedor, Silva vs. Jones), Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya wasn’t one of those. Sure, Blachowicz wasn’t an estbalished star — but the current light heavyweight champ welcomed the idea of Adesanya moving up to attempt what few have done in the sport, and try to capture the Champ Champ status. There was no long drawn-out blueprint or question of whether this fight would come to fruition. The fight was booked, the date was set, and Saturday night, the fight arrived.

Of course, Glover Teixeira was the rightful contender to Blachowicz’s light heavyweight title. And he did weigh in for UFC 259, but only as a back-up. Still, it is hard to be disappointed with the main event that was put in place for the event — and it may have done wonders for Blachowicz’s legacy.

What we witnessed in the end was a very strategic fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. Adesanya started strong, but as the fight wore on, Blachowicz began to find his footing. Heading into the championship rounds, he’d claimed at least one frame, and began to mix in takedowns for which the middleweight champion had no answer. The end result, thanks to that late-fight adjustment, Jan Blachowicz defended his title usccessfully against the dangerous Adesanya. Handing “The Last Stylebender” his first loss as a pro in the process.

PROS GIVE THEIR TAKE

Check out the Pro Take on what was a gruelling UFC 259 light heavyweight championship main event.

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