Jan Blachowicz explains how training with a mental coach helps him prepare for fights
Jan Blachowicz has opened up about working with a mental coach for his fight preparations. Blachowicz lost his UFC light heavyweight title via second-round submission to Glover Teixeira in October 2021.
He returned to the win column by defeating Aleksandar Rakic earlier this year. Blachowicz will fight Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 282 on December 10.
In an interview with Michael Bisping for BT Sport, Jan Blachowicz was asked about his defeat against Glover Teixeira and what he learned from that fight. Blachowicz responded by suggesting that he's been training with a mental coach since that loss. The 39-year-old stated:
"[I learned] that I need to change my way of thinking and way of how I train right now because I'm not 30 years old guy anymore, so I cannot train like 10 years ago. That was the most important thing; and also some mental changing also, you know. Now, I work with mental coach. Yeah. I'm in the place where I need someone like this."
He added:
"I do a lot of all of this thing, like, I do with my coach right now. But she showed me the way how I should do in correct way -- Because I do this, but, you know, like this," Blachowicz gestured that he used to do things in a roundabout way rather than following the straightforward path. He added, "Now, I've got straight to the target."
Jan Blachowicz opined that he's gone into a few fights without any pressure and/or emotions and lost. He insinuated that pressure is essential and serves as fuel to improve. That said, Blachowicz emphasized that it's equally significant not to get stuck in that pressure and instead convert it into fuel to aid one's performance.
Watch Blachowicz discuss the topic at 9:28 in the video below:
Jan Blachowicz eyes redemption against Glover Teixeira after UFC 282
During his interview with Michael Bisping, Jan Blachowicz reiterated that he didn't perform to the best of his abilities in his fight against Glover Teixeira and would like a rematch. Similarly, in a recent interview with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Blachowicz addressed a potential rematch against Teixeira.
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Jan Blachowicz explained that he didn't like how his first fight against Glover Teixeira played out. Moreover, the Polish MMA stalwart outlined that he intends to beat Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282, win the title, and then beat Teixeira in a rematch. Blachowicz said:
"The one rematch I really want is the one with Glover because, I don't know, I didn't like how that went. It is what it is, but that's the one fight where I didn't [fight] the way I wanted to or can."