One of the most anticipated matchups of the year now has a date. UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will shoot for the Light Heavyweight Championship. He will go face-to-face against the incumbent Jan Blachowicz (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) at UFC 259 on March 6. UFC President Dana White made the announcement to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto Wednesday night.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 31, 2020
Adesanya began fighting in the UFC back in February of 2018. He compiled a 9-0 UFC record with wins over Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker, Anderson Silva, and Kelvin Gastelum. Blachowicz has scored key wins over Dominick Reyes, Corey Anderson, Jacare Souza, Luke Rockhold, and Jimi Manuela.
During the time where both combatants have demonstrated their great performances in their respective divisions, they have called out one of the UFC’s most dominant stars in Jon Jones. Adesanya has made it clear on social media and to the world that he can take him while Jones left the division to move up to heavyweight.
Following Blachowicz’s win over Dominick Reyes, he also called for Jones to stay in the 205-lb weight class so he can face him. No official word on where the fight will take place. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and the APEX Center in Las Vegas have been the only two locations where the UFC have held their events since it began.
So, with Blachowicz defending his title against Adesanya, will he end 2021 as the light-heavyweight champion. It’s as good a question as any.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬! Who ends 2021 on top of the light heavyweight throne? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9wRUTkZeIK
— UFC (@ufc) December 29, 2020
