Israel Adesanya lands a kick on Paulo Costa in the main event of UFC 253. Adesanya won the fight by second-round TKO.
Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya to headline UFC 259 in March
A super-fight between two UFC champions Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya is officially headlining UFC 259 on March 6.
Blachowicz, the current UFC light heavyweight champion, is set to defend his strap for the first time against Adesanya, the reigning middleweight title holder. In an interview with ESPN, UFC president Dana White said both fighters agreed to meet in March.
The event is still without an official venue or location.
Blachowicz is only three month removed from capturing the vacant title where he upset Dominick Reyes with a second-round knockout at UFC 253 this past September. The 36-year-old earned his shot at the strap after former title holder Jon Jones vacated the belt in August.
The Polish fighter is on a four-fight win streak, including victories against Corey Anderson, Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold.
Adesanya is chasing more history as he looks to become the eighth person in UFC history to win titles in two weight divisions. If victorious, he will be the first to earn both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
The 31-year-old is undefeated, holding a perfect record of 20-0. He most recently defended his title for a second time, finishing Paulo Costa via second-round TKO at UFC 253 this past September. It’s the same card where Blachowicz won his strap.
Adesanya won the title by dethroning Robert Whittaker via second-round knockout at UFC 243 in October 2019. Adesanya will test 205 pounds after climbing to the top of the middleweight division in under three years.
