"Needs to get comfortable early" - Kenny Florian casts his prediction for Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
![Kenny Florian (left) and Jan Blachowicz & Aleksandar Rakic (right) [Image credits: @kennyflorian and @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/c01ef-16521093420100-1920.jpg?w=500)
Former UFC fighter Kenny Florian has weighed in on the upcoming main event matchup between Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic.
According to Florian, if the former light heavyweight champion shows his old self in the fight, he has a good chance of emerging victorious against his Austrian counterpart.
The 45-year-old said during an episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast:
"I feel like if Blachowicz gets back to his roots and, you know, initiates these takedowns and sets them up properly and is engaged in the fight the whole time, I think Blachowicz wins this fight. I think he takes down Rakic and submits him or ground-and-pounds him."
Florian added that hesitancy could be the downfall for Blachowicz and that the first few minutes of the fight will be crucial for the Polish Powerhouse if he is to win the contest.
"Rakic, though, is a problem on the feet and I think with Blachowicz losing some confidence, perhaps in the last couple of fights, I think if he's hesitant out there, Rakic is gonna go out there and starch him. I think, for me, the critical thing is like, the first five minutes, first seven minutes of this fight. If Blachowicz is able to kind of get past that, I think he's got a good shot at getting this win. But Blachowicz needs to get comfortable early. If he doesn't, I fear for him... This is a tough one for me... I'll take Blachowicz."
You can watch the full episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast below:
May 14 will mark Jan Blachowicz's first fight since his title loss
The last time Jan Blachowicz entered the UFC octagon for a fight, he was the light heavyweight champion. However, things did not go well for the 39-year-old that night. Blachowicz fought Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 and was caught in a rear-naked choke in the second round, marking the end of his reign.
On May 14, the 39-year-old will return to action against rising contender and fellow European Aleksandar Rakic.
Before the Teixeira loss, the Polish Powerhouse was on a five-fight win streak that included victories over Dominick Reyes and current middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. Blachowicz is also the only person to defeat 'The Last Stylebender' in professional MMA.
With a win in the upcoming main event, Blachowicz will look to return to title contention and regain the light heavyweight gold.