“I think he is 10 years younger”- Jan Blachowicz reveals how he’s been training for a youthful opponent like Aleksandar Rakic
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Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic
Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic’s light heavyweight bout has been rescheduled for the upcoming UFC Fight Night program on May 14 in Las Vegas at the UFC APEX.
Following an initial report from Ariel Helwani, many people with knowledge of the promotion’s intentions confirmed the news to MMA Fighting.
The bout was scheduled to take place in March, however, Blachowicz was forced to withdraw due to injury. Blachowicz, now healed and ready to compete again, will return in May in the hopes of regaining title contention following his October loss to reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira.
Blachowicz had won five straight fights prior to the loss, including knockout victories over Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes, as well as a decision victory against Israel Adesanya in a rare champion vs. champion bout. Rakic, on the other hand, will be looking for a signature victory that might propel him into a UFC title bout.
Rakic has been a top-tier fighter in the light heavyweight division for quite some time, but with back-to-back wins over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, he took a significant stride forward. Rakic will now try to defeat Blachowicz in May in the hopes of facing the winner of the forthcoming title fight between Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka, which is set for UFC 275 on June 11.
More fights are anticipated to be added to the May 14 schedule in the coming weeks, with Blachowicz vs. Rakic set as the main event.
“A very tough fight”- Jan Blachowicz gives his insights on the match-up against Aleksandar Rakic
During the media scrum, Jan stated, “My hunger level is much bigger than before because I was the champion.”
He further explained his insights on the status quo, he expressed “I know how it feels, and I know how to be the best in the world, and I want to feel it again. Much more than ever. It’s much like ‘Lord of the Rings.’ You know Gollum? The ring is his precious. I am like Gollum. That is my precious. I want to get the belt back.”
In the same interview, he mentioned his preparation for his bout and the resurgence of his quest for greater achievements, he said, “I start training when I was nine years old, so I feel everything, inside the octagon and out of it. We’ll see. He’s a very dynamic, powerful guy. He looks like he’s very strong, powerful kicks.”
“But I think I’ve seen everything before, nothing new for me. But I have to be ready. I have a lot of respect for him because he’s a great fighter. It’s going to be a tough fighter, for sure. I have to be ready for a very tough fight.” He further explained his mindset going into the fight and what he thinks of Rakic, “I think he is 10 years younger than me.”
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