Jan Błachowicz

Jan Maciej Błachowicz (; born 24 February 1983) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Błachowicz is the second Polish fighter to win a UFC title after Joanna Jędrzejczyk and the first male Polish champion. A professional since 2007, he also competed for KSW and is the former KSW Light Heavyweight Champion.

Background Growing up in Cieszyn, Poland, Błachowicz started training in martial arts – initially judo at the age of nine – due to the influence of action movies, he also did grappling, muay thai (where he achieved 34 wins) and won tournaments in both sports before transitioning into mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

KSW Błachowicz entered in KSWs inaugural <95 kg (209 lb) Tournament at KSW 9. Defeating three opponents in one night, Błachowicz was able to claim the tournament crown. His first opponent was Martin Zawada, who he defeated by unanimous decision. Błachowicz was able to defeat his next two opponents by armbar, including the notable opponent Antoni Chmielewski.

Błachowicz went on to defeat Christian M'Pumbu four months later via armbar, before defeating previously unbeaten Maro Perak in December 2008.

Looking to expand his horizons after the very successful year 2008, Błachowicz accepted the invitation of Tomasz Drwal and joined him at the Throwdown Training Center in San Diego for a few months. He agreed to temporarily fight at Heavyweight, against Lloyd Marshbanks under the War Gods banner, but the event was canceled. Despite suffering a serious knee injury in July, Błachowicz continued his training, as he agreed to fight "somewhere in Mexico". About three weeks later, his knee suddenly popped in training when executing a takedown. The anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee was destroyed, making a knee reconstruction after his return to Poland inevitable.

In the meantime, Błachowicz took a fight on a few days notice against Nikolai Onikienko and submitted him in the second round.

He then faced Daniel Tabera in the final of the tournament at KSW XIV, winning via TKO in the second round and becoming once again the KSW Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion. Błachowicz then faced Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou for the vacant KSW Light Heavyweight Championship at KSW XV. He lost the fight via TKO, being unable to answer the bell for the third round because of his injured leg.

Błachowicz had a rematch with Sokoudjou at KSW XVII. He won the bout via unanimous decision to become the new KSW Light Heavyweight Champion. His next three fights in KSW were against Mario Miranda, Houston Alexander and Goran Reljic, and all three he won by unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship In January 2014, after completing a 17–3 record on the European scene, Błachowicz signed a contract to fight in the light heavyweight division of the UFC.

In his UFC debut, Błachowicz faced Ilir Latifi on 4 October 2014 at UFC Fight Night 53. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Błachowicz faced Jimi Manuwa on 11 April 2015 at UFC Fight Night 64. Błachowicz lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Błachowicz was expected to face Anthony Johnson on 5 September 2015 at UFC 191. However, Johnson was pulled from the bout on 30 July in favor of a fight with Jimi Manuwa at the event. In turn, Błachowicz instead faced Corey Anderson on the same card. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Błachowicz next faced Igor Pokrajac on 10 April 2016 at UFC Fight Night 86. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Błachowicz faced Alexander Gustafsson on 3 September 2016 at UFC Fight Night 93. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Błachowicz was expected to face Ovince Saint Preux on 4 February 2017 at UFC Fight Night 104. However, he pulled out on 21 January due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Volkan Oezdemir.

Błachowicz was quickly rescheduled and faced Patrick Cummins on 8 April 2017 at UFC 210. After a strong first round where he rocked Cummins on multiple occasions, Błachowicz soon fell to Cummins' wrestling and his own lack of stamina in the second and third rounds. He lost the fight via majority decision.

Błachowicz faced Devin Clark on 21 October 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Błachowicz faced Jared Cannonier on 16 December 2017 at UFC on Fox 26. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Błachowicz faced Jimi Manuwa in a rematch on 17 March 2018 at UFC Fight Night 127. He won the fight via unanimous decision. The win also earned him his first Fight of the Night bonus award.

Błachowicz faced Nikita Krylov on 15 September 2018 at UFC Fight Night 136. He won the fight via arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Błachowicz faced Thiago Santos on 23 February 2019 at UFC Fight Night 145. Błachowicz was caught with a counter in the third round and lost by TKO, marking the first time in his MMA career that he has been stopped due to strikes.

Błachowicz faced Luke Rockhold on 6 July 2019 at UFC 239. He won the fight via knockout in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Błachowicz then faced Ronaldo Souza on 16 November 2019 at UFC Fight Night 164. He won the fight by a split decision.

Błachowicz faced Corey Anderson on 15 February 2020 at UFC Fight Night 167 in a rematch of their previous bout. Błachowicz won the bout via first-round knockout. The victory earned him his fourth Performance of the Night bonus award.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Błachowicz faced Dominick Reyes for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on 27 September 2020 at UFC 253. He won the fight via TKO in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Błachowicz faced UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya for his first title defense on 6 March 2021 at UFC 259. He won the fight via unanimous decision, becoming the first person to defeat Adesanya in the UFC.

Błachowicz was expected to make his second title defense against Glover Teixeira at UFC 266 on 25 September 2021. However, the bout was postponed and moved to 30 October 2021 at UFC 267. Błachowicz lost the fight and the title via second-round rear-naked choke submission.

Post championship Błachowicz was scheduled to face Aleksandar Rakić on 26 March 2022 at UFC on ESPN 33. However, in late January, Błachowicz withdrew due to injury and the bout was rescheduled for UFC on ESPN 36 on 14 May 2022. Błachowicz won the fight via technical knockout after Rakić was rendered unable to continue in the third round due to a knee injury.

Błachowicz faced off against Magomed Ankalaev on 10 December 2022 at UFC 282 for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The fight ended in a controversial split draw. 23 out of 25 media members scored the fight as a win for Ankalaev.

Błachowicz faced former UFC Middleweight champion Alex Pereira on 29 July 2023 at UFC 291. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision. 22 out of 26 media outlets scored the bout for Pereira.

Błachowicz was scheduled to face Aleksandar Rakić in a rematch on 20 January 2024 at UFC 297. However, Błachowicz withdrew due to shoulder surgery.

Błachowicz faced Carlos Ulberg on 22 March 2025 at UFC Fight Night 255. He lost the close fight by unanimous decision. 8 out of 12 media outlets scored the bout for Ulberg.

Błachowicz was scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov on 22 November 2025 at UFC Fight Night 265. However, for unknown reasons, it was moved and took place on 6 December 2025, at UFC 323. The bout ended in a majority draw.

Błachowicz was scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov in a rematch on 9 May 2026 at UFC 328. However, Błachowicz withdrew due to a torn meniscus. The bout was re-scheduled for 1 August 2026 at UFC Fight Night 283. In turn, on 13 July, Guskov was moved to headline the previous week's event, UFC Fight Night 282 after Khalil Rountree Jr. withdrew due to injury. Błachowicz was originally asked to step in on short notice for the prior week's main event but said he was not able to make the weight limit one week prior to his scheduled bout. Błachowicz lost the fight by technical knockout via elbows and punches in the first round.

Personal life Błachowicz is a close friend of former UFC fighter Tomasz Drwal. They were training together at the Throwdown Training Center in San Diego when he suffered his knee injury in 2009. Some time ago he moved to Warsaw with his girlfriend, changing his long-time club Octagon Rybnik to Paweł Nastula's club. He also occasionally trains in Alliance MMA with names such as Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis, Joey Beltran, and Dominick Cruz.

Błachowicz confirmed the birth of his son in December 2020.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time) One successful title defense First male Polish champion in UFC history Performance of the Night (Five times) Tied (Jon Jones) for fourth most bouts in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (22) Seventh most wins in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (12) & Ranked #10 Upset of the Year 2020: Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #8 Upset of the Year 2021: Ranked #5 Upset of the Year Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki KSW Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; former) Two successful title defenses KSW 2010 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner KSW 2008 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner KSW 2007 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner Fight of the Night (Three times) Yahoo! Sports 2020 MMA Fighter of the Year CBS Sports 2020 #3 Ranked UFC Fighter of the Year Slacky Awards 2018 Technical Turn-Around of the Year

Muay Thai 2008: European Open Cup − 1st place, 91 kg (A class) 2008: IFMA World Championships − 1st place, 91 kg (B class) 2007: IFMA World Championships − 3rd place, 91 kg (B class) 2007: Polish Championships − 1st place, over 91 kg 2006: Polish Cup − 3rd place 91 kg

Grappling 2007: Polish BJJ League − 1st place, 98 kg 2007: Polish Open Submission Fighting Championships − 2nd place, 99 kg 2007: Polish BJJ Cup − 1st place, 97 kg 2005: Polish BJJ Championships − 3rd place, open 2005: Polish BJJ Cup − 1st place, over 91 kg

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Navajo Stirling TKO (elbows and punches) UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez

Belgrade, Serbia Draw

Bogdan Guskov Draw (majority) UFC 323

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Carlos Ulberg Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady

London, England Loss

Alex Pereira Decision (split) UFC 291

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Draw

Magomed Ankalaev Draw (split) UFC 282

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Aleksandar Rakić TKO (knee injury) UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Glover Teixeira Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 267

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

Israel Adesanya Decision (unanimous) UFC 259

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Dominick Reyes TKO (punches) UFC 253

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

Corey Anderson KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2

Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States Win

Ronaldo Souza Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré

São Paulo, Brazil Win

Luke Rockhold KO (punches) UFC 239

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Thiago Santos TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos

Prague, Czech Republic Win

Nikita Krylov Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik

Moscow, Russia Win

Jimi Manuwa Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov

London, England Win

Jared Cannonier Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Win

Devin Clark Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till

Gdańsk, Poland Loss

Patrick Cummins Decision (majority) UFC 210

Buffalo, New York, United States Loss

Alexander Gustafsson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett

Hamburg, Germany Win

Igor Pokrajac Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos

Zagreb, Croatia Loss

Corey Anderson Decision (unanimous) UFC 191

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Jimi Manuwa Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 2

Kraków, Poland Win

Ilir Latifi TKO (body kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Story

Stockholm, Sweden Win

Goran Reljić Decision (unanimous) KSW 22

Warsaw, Poland Win

Houston Alexander Decision (unanimous) KSW 20

Gdańsk, Poland Win

Mario Miranda Decision (unanimous) KSW 18

Płock, Poland Win

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Decision (unanimous) KSW 17

Łódź, Poland Win

Toni Valtonen Submission (rear-naked choke) KSW 16

Gdańsk, Poland Loss

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou TKO (retirement) KSW 15

Warsaw, Poland Win

Daniel Tabera TKO (punches) KSW 14

Łódź, Poland Win

Nikolai Onikienko Submission (rear-naked choke) Modern Fighting Pankration: Volga Cup 2010

Cheboksary, Russia Win

Wojciech Orłowski Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Julio Brutus KO (head kick and punch)

Win

Maro Perak Submission (rear-naked choke) KSW 10

Warsaw, Poland Win

Christian M'Pumbu Submission (armbar) KSW Extra

Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland Win

Aziz Karaoglu Submission (armbar)

Win

Antoni Chmielewski Submission (armbar)

Win

Martin Zawada Decision (unanimous)

Loss

Andre Fyeet Submission (kimura) KSW 8

Warsaw, Poland Win

Daniel Dowda TKO (knee and punches)

Win

Pawel Gasinski TKO (punches)

Win

Sebastian Olchawa Decision (unanimous)

Loss

Marcin Krysztofiak Decision (unanimous) Full Contact Prestige 3

Poznań, Poland Pay-per-view bouts