MMA Fighting - Jan Blachowicz On Why He's Lost Respect For Jiri Prochazka Over UFC Title Fight Situation

Episode Date: August 11, 2022

Jan Blachowicz details his frustration with UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka after it appeared they were on a collision course only for the Czech native to change his mind and call for a rematch against Glover Teixeira instead. Blachowicz explains his recent messages on Twitter and how he's actually lost some respect for Prochazka through the entire ordeal. He also answers the call out from Magomed Ankalaev, who has been pushing for a fight against him after beating Anthony Smith just recently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support for this show comes from the Audible Original, the downloaded two, ghosts in the machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Rosco Cudulian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever. Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprise his role as Rosco Cudulian in this follow-up to the Audible Original Blockbuster. The Downloaded, it's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, What are you willing to lose to save the ones you love?

The Downloaded 2, Ghosts in the Machine. Available now, only from Audible. Support for this show comes from the Audible original, The Downloaded 2. Ghosts in the Machine. The Earth only has a few days left. Rosco Cudullian and the rest of the Phoenix colony have to re-upload their minds into the quantum computer, but a new threat has arisen that could destroy their stored consciousness forever. Listen to Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reprised his role as Rosco Cudulian in this follow-up to the Audible Original Blockbuster, The Downloaded.

It's a thought-provoking sci-fi journey where identity, memory, and morality collide. Robert J. Sawyer does it again with this much-anticipated sequel that leaves you asking, what are you willing to lose to save the ones you love? The downloaded two, Ghosts in the Machine,

available now, only from Audible. He is the former UFC light heavyweight champion of the world and still one of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world and I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about today. I am always happy to speak to the great Jan Blahos. Yon, how are you, my friend? Thank you. I'm good. Thank you. Appreciate you taking the time, as always.

As I said, we have a lot to talk about. You've had some words to say on Twitter. We're kind of looking at the lay of the land of light heavyweight. So what's going on, Jan, because I know we've been waiting to hear about your fight. You come out of the win against Alexander Rackich. We all assume it's going to be the title fight. And then it just kind of doesn't happen. So what's going on?

You know, what's going on? I'm starting to do something because nothing happened, you know, serious. Nobody knows nothing. I'm still waiting for some decision, no fight. So I just start talking about, to Glover, to make some decision, to UFC, make some decision because, you know, nothing happened, you know. I'm waiting. How long I can wait.

Absolutely. I want to know. I want to fight, you know. I want to date and the place. Absolutely. It looked like, you know, immediately after your fight, it looked like it was going to be you and Yuri. And I know we've talked about that a lot. It would be a huge fight, massive fight for Europe, made all the sense of the world.

You're coming off a win. You know, he was coming off a fight with Glover. Seemed to make a lot of sense. But then he called out Glover and said he wanted to rematch. And I mean, I get it. I understand it wasn't maybe his best night at the office. I get a lot of respect for Glover. And I know you have a lot of respect for Glover.

But was it disappointing? Did it make you angry that he decided to call his shot at? champion because typically, and correct me from wrong, Jan, because you were a champion, champions usually just fight who they're told to fight, right? You're not calling out people at that point. You're just fighting because you're now the guy with the target on your back. Of course, but anyway, he said my name a couple times. He won me, I am the next in the line, and now he changed his mind.

I don't know why. And that's it, you know, that's why I'm a little bit annoying about this situation. And that's it, you know. he should fight against me. It's going to be great fight if he, you know, make this fight with me in Europe, like you said before. I think Europe and the world deserves for this fight. Fans won this fight, so I don't know why he don't want this fight.

Yeah, I know, you know, right after his win, he said, you know, he considered you his most difficult challenge. He said you were probably the toughest challenge for him in the division. And, of course, you were coming up to win of Iraq. So it kind of made sense, right? I guess it made sense that that would happen. Of course, he said that. We can find this in a couple last interviews.

So in his samurai court, he should fight against me, but he don't keep this samurai court. I think he don't trick the serious. And that's it, you know, he becomes like a politics right now, and, you know, he changed his mind. Yeah. I know he said on Twitter, he said something to the effect of, you know, he never promised you a fight.

He just said it's a fight he wanted and you were a difficult fight for him. But again, as champion, again, I have nothing against Glover to share. This is nothing against Glover at all. But, you know, again, it was a definitive ending. He choked him out. He got to win. And I, listen, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Glover to share.

He's a legend. And, you know, good for him. But it just seemed like that was the fight to make, you know, considering your last fight and his last fight, it just made all the sense of the world. Of course, you know. It's simple. You know, I won't mind my fight. He won't his fight. He's a defense.

But I am next. That's it. For me, it's simple, but, you know, I just don't know what to say more, you know, because it's a little bit annoying, you know. That was great fight between him and Glover. I've got respect for both of them, but just, you know, make some decision. And UFC, of course, they have to do some decision also because we're waiting for something and nothing happening.

Yeah. Have you spoken to the UFC at all? No policy, nobody did you just do this fight, you know. Yeah. Have you spoken to the UFC at all? they reached out to you at all in terms of... Yeah, well, with them every day almost. What the decision?

You do have something, you know, something news. And that's it. Have they told you, like, what they want to do? Have they said, hey, we want to do the fight with Yeri or anything? You know, just, they're just, you know, thinking what to do. That's it, you know? That's why I'm a little bit annoying, you know? Yeah, yeah.

I know also, you know, listen, you know, I get like it's annoying. I get like it's irritating because you want to fight. You want to book a date and you want to know when you're coming back. Considering that, you know, Yeri had said, you know, you were his toughest challenge and you seem to be the next guy in line. We all heard this. We know the interviews.

And again, the UFC can make a different decision. That's up to the UFC. Does it make you lose any respect for Yeri that, that he went that route that he kind of called for your fight? And then he switched his mind. And now that's saying he's avoiding you. I don't want to make it sound like he's avoiding you. It just seems like he's kind of moved on. I don't lose respect to his skills and his, you know, like what he can do in the Octagon,

but I lose a little bit of respect what he's, you know, saying and what he's doing. Yeah. Now, I know that on, you know, Twitter. I would not believe him anymore. Yeah. In a perfect world, like, how soon would you want to fight because we're already booking cards through the end of the year? Like, I assume you'd like to fight before the end of the year. Yeah, I would like to find it this year.

before end of this year. Yeah. So, would you fight in this year for sure. Would you be disappointed, you know, would you be upset, I should say,

if they do end up booking the fight between Yeri and Glover? Of course, you know, because I want this fight. I want to fight for the title. But if they do it, what can I do more? I can, you know,

I can do a different fight or just wait. But if I will wait, I don't have, you know, I don't know that, going to give me or they're going to give someone else. So we will see what's going to happen. But I think if they give, you know, fight for the rematch, they make the rematch. So I think that I will take a different fight.

Yeah, yeah. The downside of the rematch is if Glover somehow wins, you know, I think Glover might retire. You know, that might be the problem. I think if he wins, he would retire. I don't know that he would stick around to defend the title again. And I think Glover, I know you have a lot of respect for Glover and you said you would love to rematch him and love to fight him again. And I just personally think if he fights Yiri a second time and wins, I think he retires.

I don't know. What do you think? I'm afraid about this also. I've got a lot of respect to Glover and like him, but I'm afraid that he do this kind of decision. And what next? You know, what's then? Yeah. But we will see.

We will see. I hope so, you know, even if he will fight against Yiri and if he won the fight, he will not go to retire. And he gave me the rematch, not, you know. you know, like a trilogy with really or something like this. Yeah, yeah. Just the agreement. Yeah.

Now, the other side, I know that on Twitter, you had a little bit of back and forth with Magamette Ankelaev. I know that's a fight Magamette is called for. He says, now he says the UFC has spoken to him about fighting you, but you said the UFC hasn't spoken to you about fighting him, right? Yep, that's true.

I don't know nothing about this fight. This is what he say on internet. Yeah. What do you think of Ankelaev in terms of, what he's been doing lately. Yeah, he's a good fighter, very good. And that's it. I don't know him personally.

So sometimes he don't understand what I say on internet. And that's it, you know. If the fight with me... He's a good fighter, very good fighter. Yeah. If he, if the fight with, if the fight with Erie doesn't happen, would you be interested in Anka-Lyev?

You know, I never, if you have to give me some opponent, I never, you know, choose my opponents. If they send me email with opponent, I always accept that, you know. But I believe they will send me email with theory. Yeah. That is the fight I think we all want to see. It is a very big fight and we all know.

Now, the only disappointing side, Jan, is that if it happens this year, it wouldn't happen in Europe. And you and I know that would be a massive fight in Europe. But would you be okay? I mean, I know you would be. But, I mean, would you be okay if it had to happen in New York or Vegas, something like that, you wouldn't get to fight in Europe. Would that be okay? I will be okay, but this fight,

if I will fight against you, this fight has to happen in Europe, you know? For me, it's like a natural thing, you know? Whole Europe will be come and watch this fight, you know? Where would you like it to happen? Like, where, I mean, Poland would be huge. Poland, the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw. Yeah.

You know, my dreams come true. Yeah. 60,000 people imagine that. Yeah, oh, absolutely, absolutely. I know we've talked before about Yuri, you know, again, in terms of his skills, you have a lot of respect for his skills, but I really do like that matchup. You know, I really do like that matchup for you.

I think it's a really fun fight. Legendary Polish power against kind of Yuri's kind of crazy, wild style. I mean, it seems like a really fun fight, right? Yeah, I agree with that, you know. His style, my style, I think that's going to be great fight. We have to just, you know, do it, you know, just sign the contract, do this, and make some money on this fight, and that's it, you know. Yeah.

If Yuri is listening to this interview right now, and he may be, we don't know. You know, he likes to respond on Twitter. He likes to talk a little bit. What is your message to Yuri Pajashka right now? What is my message to you, Iri? Khamraté, this is in Czech. If you not make this fight right now, it's all going to be really, bad move for you know because whole europe

waiting for this this is the best time for us to make this fight you know make money on this fight and make this fight here in europe they're not going to be better time for me and for you to make this fight right now yeah it would get a lot of attention for my career you know I was in

I almost you know they almost kick me out from UFC and I become a champion so you know I just deserve for this fight yeah yeah I agree and I think it is I think it is a really fun fight and again you are the champion no i just deserve for this fight you know yeah well yeah and you're not you're not asking for anything to be handed to you went out and fought and won against another top

contender you beat alexander rackett you went out there and beat a top guy so it's not like you're asking for a title fight off a loss or you're asking for something you didn't earn exactly that's why i'm i want this fight you know i'm just you know i'm the top in the division he's the champion So that's it, you know, I'm not from, I'm not no name. I'm not from, you know, under the ranking, you know, I'm just, you know, ready for this fight. Yeah. Yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense. It's a great matchup.

And listen, we got, we got cards to fill. We got the big card in New York. Of course, we know that Israel out of Sonia is going to fight Alex Paheya. We got the card in December, the year-in card, which is big. But as you mentioned, this would be huge in Europe, too. Would you be willing to wait in terms of if you know you're getting. the title fight, would you be willing to wait a little longer in terms of maybe you don't fight this year, fight early next year? Would you be willing to wait if you know it's the title

fight? Yeah. If they send me the contract that I'm next one, I can wait. No problem. Yeah. Yeah. It is a great. And listen, I understand, you know, I understand Yeri wants to have a better fight than he had against Glover. I get that. I'm sure there's a lot of fights from your past that you won, that you'd like to, you know what, I could do better. But he won. He finished him. You know what I mean? It's weird that, and Glover was on his first title defense. It wasn't like Glover was like a, you know, five-time defending champion, and he went out there and, and, you know, lost. It's a weird one, right? And it's nothing against Glover. Let me be clear. I'm not saying this, anything against Glover to share. He's a legend. I love Glover. But an automatic rematch, to me,

just didn't make a lot of sense. For me also, I'm agree with you, you know. Now, you know, Glover needs to do some fight like me after losing with him, and now I'm to, you know, to take the belt again, you know. And that's it, you know. Yeah. It makes sense for me. I'm the next. They can fight, you know.

He can fight with the uncle have or different fight. I don't know. And next one for the title again. Yeah, as I'm sure, you would gladly offer Glover a title shot. You become champion again. I'm sure you would love to give him a title shot. Of course, I will, you know, because I would like to have this rematch with him, you know. this is only one remit what I would like to, you know,

with all the respect to Glover, I like him, but this is the one remit what I would like to make. Can I ask how you feel you match up with Yuri? Because he is kind of a crazy fighter, you know, very unpredictable. You know, an orthodox doesn't throw, you know, he's not the most technical fighter, but he's very explosive, very dangerous. How do you feel you match up with Yuri? Yeah, he's got this crazy style, but it's very good.

is working but he's got a lot of holes you know with this with his stand up you know and I see this holes every time when he's fighting so I will find the way to knock him out yeah you are very technical on your

feet Jan you have a lot of power but you're also very technical with your striking do you feel like that's one area where you beat him because he gets hit Yeri gets hit he allows himself to get hit and we know the legendary Polish power or it only takes one.

Do you feel like that's a big difference in this fight? If he does his crazy wild style, you touch him one time, that may be it. Maybe not one, but twice. For sure, I think that, you know, his crazy style is really good, but my technical stand up and the power stand up, it's just better, you know, than he's got.

And like I told you, he's got a lot of holes, and I know how to find the way to knock him out. Yeah. You said on Twitter, you know, no politics and, and forgiving for saying, no bullshit, you know, let's just get this fight done. Is there any part of you, and again, I'm not trying to stir controversy on, is there any part of you that feels like Yeri is avoiding you? I don't know. I just, you know, I don't catch the sense a little bit.

Yeah. Okay. Now, I got it. you know, maybe a little bit, you know, because he, I think maybe in his head, it's better to lose the belt against Glover than with me in Europe, you know? Yeah, yeah, that is a... Because I'm his neighborhood, you know, and I think this may be that's why he's doing that. Yeah, it would be so huge, though, right?

And we've talked about this, how huge that fight would be for Europe. We said that, what, two or three fights ago we were talking about that, about how big that fight would be. Could you imagine Warsaw Stadium packed out 60,000 plus people for a UFC title fight? I mean, it would be insane. Crazy, you know, not, you know, I believe that we can do it. You know, I believe in that.

We've got a lot of good fighters from Poland in the UFC. We can do it, you know. We can do it. And people, not only in Poland, but people in Europe will come and, you know, see this fight life. Yeah, absolutely. Well, Jan, I appreciate you doing this today. I know you've got a lot of, you know, a lot of options,

but the option you want, and I think the option that makes the most sense is the title fight. I think it's a fight we all want to see. And we know, here's the thing. And I want to make this clear, no fight's been booked. Nothing's been signed. They've not said, like, we're in the UFC. Yeri said he wanted Glover.

The UFC has never said that. The UFC has never said we're booking Yeri and Glover. They've never said that. That's why I start, you know, this conversation talking, you know. Yeah. Because I want this fight, nobody talking. nothing, so I start talking because I deserve for this one. Absolutely, I agree.

Well, Jan, I hope it happens. I love this matchup since the day Eerie won the title. I thought this was the fight that made the most sense. I thought you looked fantastic in your last fight. I think this is the one we all want to see. And I hope it happens. We're going to get some buzz going, and hopefully next time we talk. Now, you realize we're going to do this interview right now.

The fight gets booked. You better be calling me back for the first interview of this title fight gets booked, right? You know that, right? I promise to you. I give my work. I keep my work. Absolutely. Jan, it is always a pleasure, my friend.

I appreciate the time. Hopefully, like I said, next time we talk, it's because the title fight is booked, and we're talking about the matchup between you and Yuri Pajasca after the contracts are signed. Yes, of course. I believe that's going to happen and talk you soon. All right, Jan.

Bye-bye. You're going to be first. Absolutely. I appreciate that. Talk soon. Talk soon. Bye-bye. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.