Jan Blachowicz is set to defend the light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 266. The card is scheduled to take place on September 4th of this year. However, the venue and placement on the card have yet to be announced.
Blachowicz vs Teixeira
UFC President Dana White made the news public when he shared it with ESPN.
Jan Blachowicz will defend his light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 266 on Sept. 4, Dana White told @bokamotoESPN. pic.twitter.com/335cYRsHgf
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 14, 2021
“Jan Blachowicz will defend his light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 266 on Sept. 4, Dana White told
@bokamotoESPN”
Blachowicz is coming off of a massive win against UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. During the fight, Jan held his own as the men stood and exchanged for the majority of three rounds. However, the last two rounds saw Blachowicz take command with a dominating ground game, which neutralized Israel to secure a unanimous decision victory.
After the fight, Blachowicz mentioned that he would like to face Jon Jones. But, with Jones moving to heavyweight, the matchup seemed unlikely.
Tale of the Tape
Now, Jan will face Glover Teixeira, who has been waiting for another chance at UFC gold. The last time Glover fought for a belt was when he faced Jon Jones at UFC 172. However, Jon was able to dominate Glover and retain his Light Heavyweight championship.
Teixeira expressed his excitement for the opportunity on social media.
Hard work pays off I’m so happy and ready September 4 UFC light heavy weight champion
— glover teixeira (@gloverteixeira) April 14, 2021
“Hard work pays off I’m so happy and ready September 4 UFC light heavyweight champion,” said Teixeira.
Many believed that Glover Teixeira should have had the opportunity to face Jan at UFC 259. Instead, he served as a backup for the championship fight if either man didn’t make it to fight week.
Now, the 41-year-old Brazillian has put together a five-fight winning streak in the light heavyweight division. Expect more news to be released within the next few weeks as the UFC 266 card continues to shape up and take form.
