Kamaru Usman is no longer interested in a fight with Jan Blachowicz.
Once upon a time when both Usman and the Polish powerhouse reigned as kings of their respective divisions, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ was excited by the idea of moving up to throw hands with Blachowicz in a champion vs. champion clash.
Still working his way back toward a clean bill of health, Blachowicz was more than happy to accept the challenge, telling Usman “I will be ready” in response to the Nigerian’s initial call-out.
If you still feel the same about it @USMAN84kg, let’s go. I will be ready. https://t.co/hiYf2MvhtK
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) May 25, 2024
Unfortunately, it appears as though that ship has already sailed.
With both men having surrendered their belts, the former middleweight champ can’t see how their pairing would make any sense at this point.
“I wanted that matchup when Jan Blachowicz was the champion and I was the champion,” Usman said during an episode of his Pound-4-Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo. “I am no longer the champion. He’s no longer the champion. So, that fight makes absolutely no sense. It does nothing for me.
“If I go up there and I beat Jan Blachowicz, what does that do for me? Nothing… Jan, big respect you big, strong, tough guy. I will happily decline at this moment.”
Kamaru Usman turns down Jan Blachowicz’s callout, and says the fight doesn’t make sense anymore:
“I’m no longer the champion, [Jan] is no longer the champion so that fight makes absolutely no sense. It does nothing for me.
If I go up there and I beat Jan Blachowicz, what does… pic.twitter.com/sd1dygaZxj
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 30, 2024
Kamaru Usman and Jan Blachowicz Have Struggled to Find the Win Column in Recent Years
After building an incredible 21-fight win streak, Kamaru Usman finds himself on a losing skid dropping his last three bouts, including back-to-back losses against reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards. In October, Usman stepped up to middleweight for a short-notice scrap with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Despite a stellar effort, Usman came up short, suffering a majority decision defeat. He has not competed since.
Meanwhile, Jan Blachowicz has been sidelined for the last year after undergoing two separate shoulder surgeries. No announcements have been made regarding when the former light heavyweight champ will return, but all signs point toward a comeback before the end of the year.
Blachowicz, like Usman, has struggled to find the win column in recent years, dropping two of his last three, including his 205-pound title loss against Glover Teixeira at UFC 267. Blachowicz bounced back with a win over Aleksandar Rakić seven months later, but a subsequent defeat at the hands of ‘Poatan’ knocked him back down the light heavyweight ladder.
