Here’s How Jan Blachowicz Can Beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 259

UFC 259 goes down this Saturday at the Apex Facility and comes in as arguably one of the most stacked cards. A large reason for the aforementioned pay-per-view picking up heavy traction is the ‘champion vs champion’ main event. Light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz, defends his strap against Israel Adesanya, who comes up from middleweight to seek another title.

‘The Last Stylebender’ comes in as the favorite, despite the fact that he’s the smaller fighter. However, his brilliance at 185-pound coupled with his undefeated record has helped instill a lot of trust in his abilities. Not to mention, Blachowicz has had his ups and downs in the past and has suffered 8 losses in his career.

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Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya: Path to victory

While the Polish champion may be the underdog, he’s got plenty of things going for him heading into the fight. He’ll certainly have a power advantage over ‘Izzy’ and Blachowicz knows how to use his legendary Polish power. Furthermore, he’s got criminally underrated grappling and it would be a chore to get him off once he lands top-control.

At one point in his career, Jan Blachowicz had earned three straight arm-Bar finishes, which is rare for a fighter of his size. Moreover, the hip dexterity required on the canvas is clearly prevalent and he’ll be confident in his takedown defense. Chiefly, he’ll have to be careful when entering into range, as Adesanya has built a career of counter-punching.

Legendary Polish Power: Striking accuracy

The primary path to victory likely lies in the striking realm so long as Blachowicz remains defensively responsible. Adesanya has a tendency to back up and duck punches, and this is where the Pole will look to be accurate. He definitely has the power advantage on his side and can turn off the light with a well-placed blow.

His significant strikes landed per minute come in at 3.49 with a 48% accuracy rate in his run thus far. These numbers dictate that a smaller 25-foot cage in the Apex Facility promotes a power blitzing style.

Jan Blachowicz has all the tools to pull off the win, however, he’ll have to be wary of unorthodox techniques, as he’s facing a much faster opponent who isn’t afraid to throw in question mark kicks for good measure.