"2nd or 3rd round KO" - Jan Blachowicz on how his UFC LHW title defense against Glover Teixeira will play out
Jan Blachowicz believes he will knock Glover Teixeira out in the second or third round of their UFC light heavyweight title fight at UFC 267.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the UFC light heavyweight champion spoke about his upcoming title defense against veteran Brazilian MMA stalwart Glover Teixeira. When asked by Helwani for his prediction regarding the fight, Blachowicz stated:
“2nd or 3rd round KO. I’m gonna be ‘And still’... we’re gonna hear, ‘And still.’ ”
Presently, both Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira are on five-fight win streaks. Blachowicz’s most recent fight was a champion vs. champion super-fight against UFC middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya. ‘The Last Stylebender’ moved up to the 205-pound division to face Blachowicz at UFC 259 in March of this year.
The fight witnessed Jan Blachowicz take on then-undefeated Israel Adesanya in his first title defense. Many considered the Nigerian-Kiwi to be the favorite heading into their fight.
Nevertheless, Blachowicz made a massive statement by becoming the first fighter to defeat Adesanya in mixed martial arts. The Polish fighter beat ‘The Last Stylebender' via unanimous decision and successfully defended his 205-pound belt.
Meanwhile, Glover Teixeira’s most recent fight was a third-round submission victory over Thiago Santos at UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira in November 2020. The UFC 267 fight against Jan Blachowicz will be Teixeira’s second shot at the UFC light heavyweight title. He’d previously challenged Jon Jones for the title at UFC 172 in 2014 but lost via unanimous decision.
You can watch Jan Blachowicz’s interview with Ariel Helwani below:
Jiri Prochazka could be the X factor in the Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira UFC 267 title matchup
Reigning champion Jan Blachowicz and challenger Glover Teixeira appear injury-free and ready to compete come fight night. However, the UFC has roped in Czech MMA star Jiri Prochazka as the backup fighter for the title fight at UFC 267.
If either Jan Blachowicz or Glover Teixeira withdraw from the fight due to an injury or other issues, Jiri Prochazka could step in and compete in the main event matchup. The Blachowicz vs. Teixeira title bout will headline a stacked UFC 267 card on October 30.