UFC 259: Alexander Gustafsson gives his prediction for Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya
Going against what most analysts and fans believe, Alexander Gustafsson is convinced that Jan Blachowicz will beat Israel Adesanya in their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 259 this weekend.
Gustafsson fought and defeated Jan Blachowicz when the Polish fighter had just joined the promotion back in 2016. "The Mauler" has since moved up divisions to compete as a heavyweight.
Speaking to the YouTube channel 'Front Kick,' Gustafsson reinforced his opinion that the Prince of Cieszyn will retain the light heavyweight belt when he fights Adesanya next Saturday on March 6.
"[I think it is a] good fight. I think Jan Blachowicz will win that fight because he's a big guy, and he's very tricky. So, he has a weird boxing [style], he likes to counter a lot, and he also has a really good ground game. And he's a bigger guy. So that's what I think. If he uses those tools, he's going to win the fight," Gustafsson analyzed.
According to the Swedish UFC veteran, Jan Blachowicz will surprise people once more at the UFC 259 main event. Gustafsson believes that the 205 lb champion is being underrated.
"So, I think it will be a very interesting fight with [Israel] Adesanya, and let's see what happens. I think Jan Blachowicz is going to win that fight."
Gustafsson's last bout happened in 2020 when Fabricio Werdum submitted him via armbar. That was the Brazilian's last fight in the promotion before joining the Professional Fighters League for the 2021 season.
Alexander Gustafsson believes Jan Blachowicz has improved a lot since their first fight
Asked if he would like to fight Jan Blachowicz for a second time, Alexander Gustafsson didn't rule out the idea.
"When it comes to myself and my career, I'm just going to see what's next. If I fight Jan Blachowicz again, I think it will probably be in light heavyweight," Gustafsson said.
The 34-year-old mixed martial artist believes that Jan Blachowicz learned from his mistakes and has improved since joining the UFC six years ago.
"But, you know, I fought Blachowicz so many years ago, and I think he has developed as a fighter. I see him now, and he is very dangerous. So I think he's, you know, he has learned his lesson. He knocked out [Dominick] Reyes. People count him out, and he comes back and proves people wrong," Gustafsson said.
Jan Blachowicz had a poor record of 2-4 in the UFC before changing his attitude in the game. Since his win against Devin Clark at UFC Fight Night 118, the Prince of Cieszyn has recorded eight wins and only one loss.