UFC 259 Adesanya/Blachowicz

The time has finally arrived and oh man I couldn't possibly be more excited! This card is stacked with three Championship bouts and even a Champion vs Champion match up, with so many great matchup's to choose from let's take an in-depth look at the main event of this card!

Light-Heavyweight Title: Jan Blachowicz vs. Israel Adesanya MONEYLINE:

Israel Adesanya -250 Jan Blachowicz +200 TO GO THE DISTANCE:

Yes +170 No -200 METHOD OF VICTORY:

Adesanya by KO/TKO or DQ +115 Adesanya by Submission +1900 Adesanya by Decision/Technical Decision +250

Tie/Technical Tie +5000

Blachowicz by KO/TKO or DQ +500 Blachowicz by Submission +650 Blachowicz by Decision/Technical Decision +900

After Jon Jones vacated the UFC's Light-Heavyweight title it left a void in the division and also an opportunity for UFC veteran Jan Blachowicz. Jan was given his chance at UFC gold matched up against a true talent in Dominick Reyes. He rose up and seized his opportunity cashing in as a +235 underdog to upset Reyes at UFC 253 to become champion. The fight was a scrap from beginning to end, but controlled by Jan throughout. If we really dig into that fight and look at the bigger picture, that was a very impressive win for Poland's rising star. Before that loss to Blachowicz, Dominick Reyes was never knocked out in his professional career and was also coming off of a controversial decision loss to Jon Jones. Many actually believe that Reyes was robbed of that fight, but the more important thing to me is that even in a 5 round fight Jon Jones was not able to finish Reyes. Jan was able to apply pressure and dictate that entire fight with his vicious slapping leg kicks to the body, followed up by his brutal striking.

Ironically on that same night Adesanya had what some thought to be the toughest test of his UFC career waiting for him in the also undefeated Paolo Costa. Adesanya may have put on one of the most flawless performances of his career completely outranking Costa and sending him home early in the second round. The entire fight took place on the feet and mainly in the center of the Octagon. Israel was impressive throughout seeing right through Costa's game plan of baiting him into a wild slug fest and remained technically sound from the first horn until Costa hit the mat. Israel may have the most precise striking I have ever seen in my life, it is very similar to Anderson Silva when he was in his prime. His mixed martial arts record is flawless at 20-0 and his kickboxing past clearly gives him an edge inside the Octagon. For Israel to take the step up a weight class and challenge the freshly crowned Champion in Jan Blachowicz is extremely ballsy, but nothing new for Israel. Before joining the UFC Israel jumped weight classes in kickboxing to Heavyweight just to prove a point...but this is not kickboxing and I truly believe that this fight for the Stylebender may be the first defeat he suffers in his mixed martial arts career. So with all this being said what are my picks for this fight?!

MONEYLINE: Jan Blachowicz +200

Let's not forget Jan is a black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu and is no stranger to pulling off submission victories. He is also an experienced grappler and I believe will shock everyone by neutralizing Adesanya's explosiveness with the clinch and also smothering Israel throughout. When I look at all the different odds available for this upcoming war I have to once again trust in the 'Polish Power' and back the newly crowned champion and recent new father in Blachowicz to cash out as the underdog at +200.

TO GO THE DISTANCE: No -200

Personally I think there is little to no chance that this fight goes the full 25 minutes but with that being said this line is definitely something I would avoid.

METHOD OF VICTORY: Blachowicz by KO/TKO or DQ +500 Blachowicz by Decision/Technical Decision +900

If Jan wins the fight there is a huge opportunity here to cash out on a serious payday. I will be laying money on both of these lines with the knowledge that Jan is a solid striker and I believe he will look to keep this fight on the feet the entire time, and if he does go for a takedown and control the fight throughout that will lead to a decision victory.