Kamaru Usman, former UFC welterweight champion, has expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Jan Blachowicz, former light heavyweight champion. Their reigns as champions overlapped in 2021-2022, and after Blachowicz lost his title to Glover Teixeira, Usman suggested he could move up in weight and beat the Polish fighter. This potential matchup has intrigued the MMA community, especially after Usman and Blachowicz faced off at UFC 276 in July 2022, highlighting their similar sizes and fueling speculation about a possible fight.
In a recent episode of the “Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry” podcast, Usman discussed the incident with co-host Henry Cejudo. Usman remarked on the size comparison, noting that he felt physically comparable to Blachowicz. He explained his confidence in challenging the light heavyweight, stating that he wouldn’t have considered moving up to 205 pounds if he didn’t believe his fighting style gave him an advantage.
Usman referenced Teixeira’s victory over Blachowicz as a blueprint for his approach, emphasizing the importance of grappling and wearing down his opponent. Usman highlighted that while Blachowicz is known for his power, taking him down repeatedly could change the dynamics of the fight. He quoted the saying, “fatigue makes cowards of us all,” suggesting that exhausting Blachowicz would make him vulnerable and give Usman a significant edge.
Blachowicz, for his part, welcomed the idea of fighting Usman. After his loss to Teixeira, Blachowicz returned to competition with a victory over Aleksandar Rakic in May 2022. In an interview with the New York Post, he expressed respect for Usman, acknowledging him as one of the best fighters in the world and stating his willingness to face him in the future. Blachowicz anticipated that a fight with Usman would be exciting and looked forward to the challenge.
Both Usman and Blachowicz remain top contenders in their respective divisions. Usman is coming off a majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a closely contested bout, while Blachowicz recently lost a razor-thin split decision to Alex Pereira. Despite these setbacks, their potential clash continues to be a topic of interest in the MMA world.
