Paulo Costa ‘concerned’ about Jan Blachowicz after shoulder surgery; predicts a year of rehabilitation

Jan Blachowicz received a message from Paulo Costa after sharing a post-operation picture on his X handle.

Paulo Costa ‘concerned’ about Jan Blachowicz after shoulder surgery; predicts a year of rehabilitation

Paulo Costa comments on Jan Blachowicz's surgery and recovery time. (via X/Instagram)

Jan Blachowicz was set to fight Aleksandar Rakic in UFC 297. However, the fight was canceled after Blachowicz pulled out of the fight, citing a shoulder injury. He took to Instagram to announce the sad news and revealed he needed surgery. As such, Blachowicz underwent surgery recently and updated the MMA community on X. Now, fellow UFC fighter Paulo Costa weighed in on the return of the Polish fighter.

Paulo Costa, after seeing Jan Blochowicz’s post-op tweet, predicted his return timeline to the octagon. In Blachowicz’s recent tweet, he stated he would need one more surgery and mentioned a longer recovery than expected. So, Costa speculated it would take at least a year and questioned Blachowicz’s age. As such, he wished Blachowicz a good recovery. Here is what Costa said:

Oh my… it’s looks like 1 year at least. How old is him? Good recovery.
Paulo Costa via X
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Jan Blachowicz was a former light-heavyweight champion who lost his title to Glover Teixeira in 2021. Now, he was on a two-fight winless streak and hoped to turn the tables at UFC 297. However, he faced another hurdle in surgery and got sidelined. With Blachowicz in his forties, the return of the Polish fighter remains questionable. However, fight fans supported him and wished him a speedy recovery.

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Jan Blachowicz drew against Magomed Ankalaev and lost a split decision to Alex Pereira in his previous fights. So, he was furious about getting back to the top but unfortunately got sidelined for nearly a year due to his injury. However, Blachowicz looked positive on his coming back.

Was Jan Blachowicz and Paulo Costa scheduled to fight in 2023?

Jan Blachowicz and Paulo Costa underwent negotiations for a fight early in 2023. Although Costa fought at middleweight and Blachowicz at light-heavyweight, ‘Borrachinha’ called him out for a fight when a co-main event fell off for UFC 288. However, according to the Polish fighter, he agreed on a moment’s notice, but Costa turned down the fight. However, Costa later gave his side of the story.

Paulo Costa vs. Jan Blachowicz was almost booked for UFC 288
Paulo Costa vs. Jan Blachowicz was almost booked for UFC 288 (via MMA Junkie/MMA Mania)

Paulo Costa was interested in fighting the former UFC champion and even initiated negotiations with the UFC. However, he declined the fight when told to stay at light-heavyweight permanently. Not interested in the UFC’s offer, ‘Borrachinha’ expressed his interest in staying at 185lbs. As such, the fight never materialized. The matchup went under the radar and wasn’t brought to the attention since both fighters went their ways.

Both Jan Blachowicz and Paulo Costa soon booked their upcoming fights against Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev, respectively. However, Costa never reached the octagon and pulled out of the fight. On the other hand, Blachowicz lost a split decision to Pereira. Blachowicz was sidelined due to a shoulder injury, and Costa made sure to wish him well. Also, Costa would face Robert Whittaker in UFC 298 in February 2024.

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