UFC Belgrade: Jan Blachowicz out to remind everyone about legendary Polish power

The phrase ‘age is just a number’ is often thrown around when talking about veteran athletes. At 43, Jan Blachowicz is determined to prove that saying still holds true.

Already the second-oldest active fighter on the UFC roster, Blachowicz continues to defy expectations. While many of his contemporaries have walked away from the octagon, the former light heavyweight champion insists his story is far from over.

Blachowicz was the first fighter to hand Israel Adesanya a defeat in the UFC and pushed Alex Pereira to the limit in a razor-close split-decision loss. His current four-fight winless run has also seen him draw against Magomed Ankalaev and suffer defeats to Carlos Ulberg and Bogdan Guskov. The loss to Ulberg, however, is one Blachowicz still believes should have gone his way.

Yet, he is not one to dwell on setbacks. The Polish veteran has always been willing to take on whoever stands across the cage. Guskov was initially scheduled to face him on Saturday, August 1, at UFC Belgrade, but Blachowicz now prepares for an entirely different challenge in unbeaten prospect Navajo Stirling.

Even now, another run at the light heavyweight title remains in the back of his mind. More than anything, Blachowicz wants to remind the MMA world that the legendary Polish Power still exists.

“I would like to remind people who I am and about the legendary Polish power. People forget. Maybe I didn’t win the last 4 fights, but you know, there was a very close decision against Pereira in my opinion. I felt I won the fight against Ulberg. Now he’s a champion, so I still can fight. I still got it.”

“Now, it’s time to stop my next opponent, he’s got 10-0. So after Saturday, I believe he’s gonna have 10-1. And yeah, I want remind people around the world and myself about the legendary Polish power,” said Blachowicz in an exclusive chat with India Today.

That competitive fire still burns as fiercely as ever.

It was evident in the message he posted after renewing his UFC contract, where he admitted he simply could not get enough of fighting. For Blachowicz, that passion is what keeps retirement at bay.

“I feel good. As I said before, I still have fire inside me. I still, when I go to training, I don’t go there because I have to go there. I go there because I want to go there, because I feel good over there.”

“I enjoy every training. I enjoy what’s happening right now in the fight week. If I stop feeling this joy, then I will stop. When I go there and start training, you know, and I don’t feel pleasure, that’s gonna be sign for me.”

“But right now, I’m happy that I can be in the gym, train with the younger guys, talk with them, spend time with them, because in the gym something funny always happens,” said Blachowicz.

CALM MINDSET

One of Blachowicz’s defining traits throughout his career has been his calm and measured approach.

Rather than looking too far ahead or publicly chasing another title shot, the Polish veteran is focused solely on ending his long wait for a victory.

“Right now I’m focused only about the next fight and my next opponent. I need this win for myself. Four years without winning, so this time I have to do everything and win this fight and before time.”

“I don’t think what’s gonna be next and after this fight, we will see what’s gonna happen. I’m 43, so it’s not so easy as it was 5 years ago to prepare for high-level fighters. But I still have fire inside me, I still want to do it. I love to do it, so. You know, I signed a new contract, so we’ll see what’s going to happen. I’m curious also,” said Blachowicz.

At 43, preparation has also evolved. Gone are the days of relying purely on punishing training sessions. Experience and recovery now play an equally important role.

“We need to train in a different way. I cannot train like six to seven years ago. I need to listen to my body much more carefully.”

“So I use like every day I’m in the physiotherapy, massage or sauna, I need to remember about good sleep, and I need to train in a smart way. Not very hard way, but the smart way and focus about my experience, not about the power, because with the age everything goes, but the experience will stay with you. So I need to use a lot of experience in the training and in the fight,” said Blachowicz.

FAMILY MATTERS

Away from the spotlight, family remains Blachowicz’s biggest source of motivation.

These days, one of his greatest joys is watching his six-year-old son take his first steps into combat sports. The youngster has already developed an interest in judo, and while Blachowicz hopes he follows in his footsteps, there is no pressure.

“I hope that he will be the next one, but no pressure. Right now, he likes to watch fights. He’s trained in judo. He does this because he wants to do it. I don’t push him. I just showed him that sport is very important in life, and he wants to train.”

“He was in the two competitions, so he enjoyed all this, so maybe in the future he will be the next one, we will see. I don’t know. I’m happy that he trained, and that’s it, so we will see in the future what’s gonna happen.”

“He’s 6 years old, and he’s very strong, very fast, so I give him good genes. So I hope he’s gonna use it in the future,” said Blachowicz.

Alongside Joanna Jdrzejczyk, Blachowicz helped put Polish MMA on the global map. Now, he hopes the next generation can carry that legacy forward.

“I hope we’re gonna have another champion in the future. We’ve got a lot of good fighters, a lot of strong guys in Polish MMA, so we will see. I hope that someone someday will be champion again in Poland, like Joanna or me,” said Blachowicz.

For now, the former light heavyweight champion is in no rush to map out the remainder of his career. Whether another title shot comes or not is something he cannot control.

What he can control is making the most of every opportunity that still comes his way.

“We’ll see. If in the future there will be an opportunity to fight for the title again, I will be happy. If not, what can I do? Nothing.”

“I want to do another fight, have fun inside the octagon, enjoy everything that’s going to happen over there, win the fight in a good way. This is what I focus right now,” said Blachowicz.

Watch UFC Fight Night – Medic vs Rodriguez on August 1, 2026, from 10:30 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony LIV.

– Ends