An MMA Thanksgiving: 2019 All-Turkey Team

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Jan Blachowicz

Blachowicz did not pick the best time to call his shot, as he took aim at light heavyweight champion Jon Jones after he eked out a split decision over Ronaldo Souza in the widely panned UFC Fight Night 164 headliner on Nov. 16 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In a plodding performance that lacked aggression and the requisite sense of urgency, the former KSW champion tended towards caution in the five-round affair, as he leaned on leg kicks, a steady jab, occasional punching combinations and airtight takedown defense. He outlanded “Jacare” by wide margins (105-56 in total strikes and 71-20 in significant strikes) but never seemed willing to put his foot on the gas, likely out of fear of being taken down by the two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist. The 10,344 fans in attendance at Ibirapuera Gymnasium were not impressed, many of them choosing to wave the flashlights on their cell phones out of boredom. Blachowicz, 36, has won six of his last seven bouts inside the Octagon, and though he remains a viable contender in a thin 205-pound weight class, he squandered some -- if not all -- of the momentum he built with a sensational knockout of Luke Rockhold, another longtime middleweight making the jump to 205 pounds, at UFC 239 in July.

Afterward, Blachowicz doubled down on his desire to face Jones while also pointing his crosshairs at the undefeated Dominick Reyes -- the man who will actually challenge “Bones” as the No. 1 contender at UFC 246 in February. If the Pole gets his wish, he could remain idle until mid to late 2020. Not ideal for a fighter who turns 37 in a matter of months.

“I want someone from the top,” Blachowicz said. “Maybe a title shot. Why not? I’m ready. Give me the fight. Give me the title shot because I don’t have time. Maybe three more years and I go to retirement. It’s now or never. I will wait for Dominick Reyes or Jon Jones. No problem. I’m just going to wait for either from the UFC.”