COREY ANDERSON VS. JAN BLACHOWICZ
Saturday’s main event is a multitude of things: it’s a matchup between the top two contenders in the light heavyweight division; a rematch from UFC 191, which Anderson won handily; and, most importantly, a case study in allowing fighters time to develop once they reach the UFC.
Anderson won the light heavyweight competition on Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter, and while there were some ugly losses along the way, the last two years have been the return on investment Anderson and those around him foresaw when he came off the show, as the hard-working former collegiate wrestler has developed into a more complete mixed martial artist and an undeniable threat in the light heavyweight ranks.
Over his last four fights, the 30-year-old Anderson has registered decision wins over Patrick Cummins, Glover Teixeira, and Ilir Latifi, and quickly shut down any talk of Johnny Walker being next in line for a title shot by stopping the Brazilian a little over two minutes into their meeting at UFC 244.
Blachowicz arrived in the UFC as an established name to those who follow European MMA, having ruled the light heavyweight ranks in KSW, rounding out his time with the Polish promotion by posting wins over UFC veterans Sokoudjou, Mario Miranda, Houston Alexander, and Goran Reljic. After winning his debut in impressive fashion, Blachowicz dropped four of his next five fights, including his first meeting with Anderson, leaving him in dire need of a win and observers wondering if he had what it takes to compete at this level.
The 36-year-old standout is 6-1 since then, earning victories over the likes of Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, Nikita Krylov, and Luke Rockhold, with his only setback coming against recent title challenger Thiago Santos. He’s gotten back to fighting the way he did under the KSW banner — moving confidently, playing to his strengths, not allowing opponents to dictate the terms of engagement — and it has elevated him into the championship mix.
Although there are never any guarantees when it comes to what opportunities the future may hold, these two are unquestionably the top two contenders in the 205-pound ranks at the moment and the victor will have an unassailable case for challenging for the title at some point later this year.
It was an intriguing matchup the first time it transpired, but it’s even more compelling now, and should be a fantastic close to an action-packed night of fights in Rio Rancho on Saturday.
