Jan Blachowicz won’t accept anything less than a shot at the undisputed light heavyweight title.
Blachowicz (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) emerged as a top contender when he knocked out Corey Anderson in the first round at UFC on ESPN+ 25 with champion Jon Jones in attendance watching his statement performance. But after Jones ran into legal trouble last month, it’s unknown how soon the champ will be able to compete, potentially opening the door for the UFC to create an interim title.
For Blachowicz, however, it’s undisputed title shot or bust, and he won’t be willing to compete for an interim title.
“No, I’m waiting for Jon Jones,” Blachowicz told MMA Junkie. “I will wait for the title shot. I will not accept any different fight.”
“It’s nothing new, so I was just, ‘It’s OK. He (did) this again, but I don’t care,’” Blachowicz said of Jones’ latest brush with the law. “I want to beat him in the octagon. I don’t care what he does outside the octagon. It’s his life, so I don’t care.”
The race for the next light heavyweight title shot appears to be a two-man affair between Blachowicz and former title challenger Dominick Reyes, who pushed Jones to the brink at UFC 247, a fight Dana White scored for Reyes.
Blachowicz said he would only be open to facing Reyes if it’s for the vacant title.
“It has to be for the title,” Blachowicz said. “If they make this fight, I can agree about it, but it has to be for the title shot.
“It’s a weird situation, because they say to me that I’m the next one, but they say something about the rematch against Dominick Reyes and Jon Jones, so it’s a little bit weird, and it’s confusing me. But I believe I’m gonna be the next one.”
Blachowicz said he scored the fight between Jones and Reyes for Jones, and thinks he’s done more than enough to get the next shot at the title.
“Dominick, he had his chance; he didn’t use it,” Blachowicz said. “Now it’s my turn. It’s a simple situation. I don’t understand why they think about the rematch. I know that was a good fight, close fight, but he lost the fight, and now it’s my turn.”
Jan Blachowicz doesn't care about Jon Jones' legal issues: 'I want to beat him in the octagon'
