This weekend at UFC 267 the fight fans will witness a blockbuster main event that will be taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Polish fighter Jan Blachowicz will be looking to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Glover Teixeira.
Jan Blachowicz (28-8) will seek for his second title defense against Teixeira. The Polish fighter claimed the vacant 205-pound title with a second-round knockout of Dominick Reyes at UFC 253. Blachowicz successfully defended his title for the first time against middleweight champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 259.
The 41 year old Glover Teixeira (32-7) has finally earned a second crack at the title. The Brazilian failed to capture the light heavyweight belt in April 2014, when he was defeated by then-champion Jon Jones at UFC 172. In his most recent two outings, Texiera has finished two former title challengers, Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.
Jan Blachowicz vs Glover Teixeira Stats
Jan Blachowicz
Win/Losses: 28/8
Height/Reach: 6 ft 2 inches/ 78 inches
Stance: Orthodox
Glover Teixeira
Win/Losses: 32/7
Height/Reach: 6 ft 2 inches/ 76 inches
Stance: Orthodox
Jan Blachowicz vs Glover Teixeira Fight Breakdown and Prediction
The champion Jan Blachowicz would want to remain standing and win the bout with his striking. The champ had a hiccup in his career about six years ago, dropping four of five fights, but at the ripe age of 34, he went on a tear and has won nine of his last 10, five of them by stoppage (two submissions, three knockouts).
The latter stat speaks to the well-rounded skill set that Blachowicz possesses. It extrapolates further in his overall record as 17 of his 28 wins have been stoppages. Jan is an intelligent fighter, rarely putting himself in real danger while executing when he has the opportunity to hurt his foes. His Polish power is undeniable, especially his body kicks, which do tremendous damage if not blocked.
It can be argued that we are seeing a fight between very similar fighters. Perhaps the edge would lie with Teixeira a bit in his boxing skills, with 18 knockouts to nine submissions on his record. However, with Blachowicz’s two-inch reach advantage and kickboxing skills, he may keep the challenger at bay.
Glover also has a really good fight IQ and knows when to conserve his energy and when to push. Additionally, Teixeira is competent anywhere the fight goes. However, on the feet he does have a tendency to absorb more shots than he lands, which is a dangerous game to play in this match.