Jan Błachowicz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jan Błachowicz
Błachowicz at UFC Fight Night 136 post fight interview in Moscow, 2018
Born	Jan Maciej Błachowicz (1983-02-24) 24 February 1983 (age 42) Cieszyn, Poland
Residence	Warsaw, Poland
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Light heavyweight
Reach	78 in (198 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Warsaw, Poland
Team	Berkut WCA Fight Team (until 2014, 2017–present) Ankos MMA (2014–2017)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Kamil Umiński and Radosław Turek
Years active	2007–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	41
Wins	29
By knockout	9
By submission	9
By decision	11
Losses	11
By knockout	2
By submission	2
By decision	7
Draws	1
Medal record Men's Muay Thai Representing  Poland World Championships Gold 2008 Busan −91 kg (B class) Bronze 2007 Bangkok −91 kg (B class)

Jan Maciej Błachowicz, born on February 24, 1983, is a famous Polish mixed martial artist. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He even held the title of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion! Jan was the second Polish fighter to win a UFC title and the first Polish man to do so. He has been a professional fighter since 2007. Before joining the UFC, he also competed for KSW and was the KSW Light Heavyweight Champion. As of March 25, 2025, he is ranked #5 in the UFC light heavyweight division.

About Jan Błachowicz

Jan Błachowicz grew up in Cieszyn, Poland. He started training in martial arts when he was nine years old. He was inspired by action movies. He first learned judo, then also practiced grappling and Muay Thai. He won many tournaments in these sports before he started his career in mixed martial arts.

Jan's Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Jan Błachowicz celebrating a victory in the ring

Fighting in KSW

Jan Błachowicz started his professional career in KSW, a big fighting organization in Europe. At KSW 9, he entered a tournament for fighters weighing less than 95 kg (209 lb). He won three fights in one night to become the tournament champion! He beat Martin Zawada by decision and then won two more fights using an armbar, including against Antoni Chmielewski.

After that, Jan continued to win. He defeated Christian M'Pumbu and Maro Perak in 2008. He even went to train in San Diego, USA, to improve his skills. However, he suffered a serious knee injury in 2009, which needed surgery.

Coming Back to Fighting

After his injury, Jan took 17 months off to recover. He returned to KSW in 2010 for another <95 kg tournament. He had to fight two opponents on the same night. He knocked out Julio Brutus with a high kick and punch. Then, he submitted his training partner Wojciech Orłowski with a rear-naked choke.

Jan also fought Nikolai Onikienko and won by submission. He then faced Daniel Tabera in the tournament final at KSW XIV, winning by TKO. This made him the KSW Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion again.

Later, Jan fought Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou for the KSW Light Heavyweight Championship. He lost the first fight due to an injured leg. But in a rematch at KSW XVII, Jan won by decision and became the new KSW Light Heavyweight Champion! He successfully defended his title two times against Mario Miranda and Houston Alexander. He also beat Goran Reljic by decision.

Joining the UFC

In January 2014, after a great record of 17 wins and 3 losses in Europe, Jan Błachowicz signed a contract with the UFC. This is the biggest mixed martial arts organization in the world.

His first UFC fight was on October 4, 2014, against Ilir Latifi. Jan won by TKO in the first round. However, he then lost his next two fights by decision to Jimi Manuwa and Corey Anderson.

Jan bounced back with a win against Igor Pokrajac in April 2016. He then lost to Alexander Gustafsson and Patrick Cummins.

But Jan didn't give up! He started a winning streak. He beat Devin Clark by submission, earning a "Performance of the Night" bonus. This bonus is given to fighters who have an amazing performance. He then won against Jared Cannonier and had a rematch with Jimi Manuwa, winning by decision and earning a "Fight of the Night" bonus. This bonus is given when two fighters put on a very exciting fight.

Jan continued his success by submitting Nikita Krylov and earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus. He then faced Thiago Santos and lost by TKO. But he quickly recovered, knocking out Luke Rockhold and earning another "Performance of the Night" award. He also won against Ronaldo Souza and had a rematch with Corey Anderson, winning by knockout and getting his fourth "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Becoming UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

On September 27, 2020, Jan Błachowicz fought Dominick Reyes for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight by TKO in the second round, becoming the new champion! This also earned him another "Performance of the Night" award.

For his first title defense, Jan faced UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya on March 6, 2021. Jan won by unanimous decision, becoming the first person to defeat Adesanya in the UFC.

Jan was scheduled to defend his title against Glover Teixeira on October 30, 2021. However, Jan lost the fight and his title by submission in the second round.

After Losing the Championship

After losing his title, Jan continued to fight top opponents. He was scheduled to fight Aleksandar Rakić twice. The first fight happened on May 14, 2022, and Jan won by TKO when Rakić injured his knee. The second rematch was planned for January 20, 2024, but Jan had to withdraw due to shoulder surgery.

On December 10, 2022, Jan fought Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The fight ended in a split draw, meaning neither fighter won.

Jan then faced former UFC Middleweight champion Alex Pereira on July 29, 2023. Jan lost this close fight by split decision. His most recent fight was on March 22, 2025, against Carlos Ulberg, which he lost by unanimous decision.

Jan's Life Outside the Ring

Jan Błachowicz is good friends with former UFC fighter Tomasz Drwal. They used to train together. Jan moved to Warsaw with his girlfriend and trains at different clubs, including Paweł Nastula's club and Alliance MMA. He trains with other famous fighters like Alexander Gustafsson and Dominick Cruz.

In December 2020, Jan became a father when his son was born.

Jan's Achievements and Awards

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
    • He successfully defended his title once.
    • He was the first male Polish champion in UFC history.
  • Performance of the Night (Five times) for his great fights against Devin Clark, Nikita Krylov, Luke Rockhold, Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes.
    • He is tied for sixth place for the most post-fight bonuses in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (6).
  • Fight of the Night (One time) for his exciting fight against Jimi Manuwa.
  • He has fought the fifth most bouts in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (21).
  • He has the seventh most wins in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (12).
  • He has the second most total fight time in UFC Light Heavyweight division history.
  • He is tied for second most significant strikes landed in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (953).
  • He has the third most total strikes landed in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (1366).
  • He has the most fights decided by judges' decision in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (12).
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2019: His knockout against Luke Rockhold was ranked #9 Knockout of the Year. His win against Luke Rockhold was also ranked #10 Upset of the Year.
    • 2020: He was ranked #2 Fighter of the Year. His win against Dominick Reyes was ranked #8 Upset of the Year.
    • 2021: His win against Israel Adesanya was ranked #5 Upset of the Year.
• Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki
  • KSW Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; former)
    • He successfully defended his title two times.
  • KSW 2010 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
  • KSW 2008 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
  • KSW 2007 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
  • Fight of the Night (Three times)
• Yahoo! Sports
  • 2020 MMA Fighter of the Year

Muay Thai

• 2008: European Open Cup − 1st place, 91 kg (A class)
• 2008: IFMA World Championships − 1st place, 91 kg (B class)
• 2007: IFMA World Championships − 3rd place, 91 kg (B class)
• 2007: Polish Championships − 1st place, over 91 kg
• 2006: Polish Cup − 3rd place 91 kg

Grappling

• 2007: Polish BJJ League − 1st place, 98 kg
• 2007: Polish Open Submission Fighting Championships − 2nd place, 99 kg
• 2007: Polish BJJ Cup − 1st place, 97 kg
• 2005: Polish BJJ Championships − 3rd place, open
• 2005: Polish BJJ Cup − 1st place, over 91 kg

Pay-per-view Fights

Jan Błachowicz has been part of major pay-per-view events:

See also

In Spanish: Jan Błachowicz para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of UFC champions