Jan Blachowicz isn’t paying any mind to the betting odds for his fight against Magomed Ankalaev.
According DraftKings, Blachowicz is a +200 underdog for his vacant light heavyweight title fight against Ankalaev that headlines UFC 282 on Dec. 10. The Russian, who’s on a nine-fight winning streak, is a -240 betting favorite.
For former light heavyweight champion Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC), this isn’t unfamiliar territory.
“I’m always an underdog, so I don’t care,” Blachowicz said in an interview with The Schmo. “I’m just gonna go there and do my job, win the fight, celebrate, and take the belt to Poland again. This is what I want to do, and I will do. I don’t care if I’m the underdog or not.”
Blachowicz and Ankalaev (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) were initially scheduled to co-headline UFC 282, but after light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka relinquished his belt due to shoulder injury, their matchup became for the vacant belt.
That means 25 minutes instead of 15, which Blachowicz is actually happy with.
“I prefer five rounds,” Blachowicz said. “I like five rounds. Three rounds is too fast for me. Everything happens too fast. Five rounds, we’ve got a little bit more time. I’ve got more five-round fights, so my experience is a little bit bigger than his. I know when I need to rest, I know where I can push a little bit more harder, so for me it’s a better change.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.
