Jan Blachowicz open to fight with Jon Jones at heavyweight but only after facing fellow comeback king Glover Teixeira

JAN BLACHOWICZ is happy to chase Jon Jones up to heavyweight for a super-fight – but first wants to face fellow comeback king Glover Teixeira.

Blachowicz achieved his dream of UFC gold last September, as he won the light-heavyweight crown vacated by Jones.


He called out the American legend, but went on to instead welcome middleweight king Israel Adesanya to 205lb.

After again upsetting the odds to hand Adesanya a first loss, Blachowicz cemented himself as a star in his own right.

And a move up to heavyweight, or any other division for that matter, to face all-time great Jones, 33, is now firmly in the Pole's sights.

Blachowicz, 38, told SunSport: "I'm here, I'm ready, I'm waiting. But we will see. If the UFC make this fight, I'm going to be ready.

"I'm going to be the first to beat Jon Jones, but he doesn't want to fight against me.

"He's gone to heavyweight, now he plans to heavyweight but I can jump to heavyweight to catch him.

"If they want to do a super-fight, heavyweight or light-heavyweight, even catchweight, I will be ready.

"If I've got the opportunity to beat Jon Jones I will be ready."

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Blachowicz was a betting underdog when he knocked out Reyes, 31, at UFC 253 last September.

It marked a sensational career turnaround for the man who in 2017 had lost four of his last five fights.

And his pay-per-view headline win over Adesanya, 31, has left the champion sitting pretty.

But he wants to reward veteran Teixeira, 41,with the chance to challenge for his belt, with the two sharing similarities in their career.

The Brazilian was beaten by Jones in 2014, and four yeas later, after defeat to Corey Anderson, he was 3-4 in his last seven fights.

But since then, Teixeira has gone on a winning streak akin to Blachowicz's with five on the spin.

It has seen him emerge as an unlikely No1 contender for the belt, and Blachowicz knows all too well about underdog challengers.

He said: "I think he deserves the chance to fight against me for the title and I think he will be my next opponent.


"I have respect for anybody, I do not underestimate anybody but I also believe in myself that I can beat anybody.

"I respect all of my opponents, but I believe I am just stronger, faster, better jiu jitsu, better boxing, better wrestling but I also have to be ready for anything.

"This is MMA, small gloves, one mistake and it could be over."

Blachowicz is enjoying a purple patch around the time most fighters enter the twilight of their careers.

He sees himself fighting into his 40s, fuelled with the determination to reign as champ for as long as possible.

Blachowicz explained: "I want to defend the belt a couple of times. I know in the future I will go to heavyweight, not now, maybe in three years.

"There's still a lot to excite me, I've got motivation to train, to go to the gym and be better everyday.

"I just love fighting, it's my passion, it's what I love to do."

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