After knocking out Corey Anderson back in February, Jan Blachowicz felt like it was only a matter of time before he had a contract with Jon Jones’ name on the other end of it.
Now four months later, the Polish contender is still waiting on word about his next fight with the last few days spent watching Jones engage in a public spat with the UFC regarding money and his overall value to the company.
The heated exchanges between Jones and UFC President Dana White eventually led to the reigning light heavyweight champion declaring that he would vacate his title and walk away from the sport. Jones even went as far as to suggest that Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes compete for a vacant title in his absence.
For all the anger and rancor shared between Jones and the UFC in recent days, Blachowicz isn’t convinced that it will actually lead to a new champion being crowned.
“I’m just a little bit tired of this situation,” Blachowicz told MMA Fighting on Tuesday. “I’m just waiting. He’s not quitting. He’s not going to retire. I think this is his game to make more money and this is it. But we will see what the UFC will do. I’m just waiting for the UFC moves and that’s it. We will see.
“If he quits, then I hope my next fight will be for the title against Dominick Reyes. This is my next scenario if he quits but I don’t believe that. I’m still waiting for him.”
Blachowicz won’t fault Jones for trying to score a bigger payday for a potential fight against heavyweight boogeyman Francis Ngannou, but he’s also aware that this entire dust up is likely a negotiating tactic.
“Everybody wants big money,” Blachowicz said. “I understand that. We do this for money and for fun, also. It’s a job but everybody who is doing this loves doing this. But you also want to make big money on this business. I understand everything that they do.
“I think he’s just playing games. He wants to make bigger money and I don’t believe he will quit. But if he quits, Dominick Reyes is also a perfect opponent for me.”
While he would much rather become the first person to hand Jones a legitimate loss, Blachowicz isn’t going to scoff at a fight with Reyes so long as there is gold on the line.
“Of course. If the fight is going to be for the title, I’m open for this,” Blachowicz said about fighting Reyes. “It’s also going to be a good fight. My next fight will be for the title. I don’t know against who. I don’t know when, but my next fight will be for the title.
“It’s a mess. I’m just waiting to see what the UFC is going to do about this whole situation. I’ve gotten all my emails, my next fight will be for the title and I’m just waiting for the date when the government opens the borders and I can be in the U.S. the next day when they open the borders. So I’m just waiting for what’s going to happen next.”
The only thing Blachowicz feels sure of is that a UFC light heavyweight championship fight is in his immediate future. He truly believes Jones will be his opponent but if the title is truly vacated, then Blachowicz will move onto the next challenger in line.
“I’m tired of the whole situation,” Blachowicz said. “I’m tired of waiting but if I have to wait a little bit longer, then OK. I know how to survive this couple of months of waiting.
“But I believe they will not make the rematch between [Jones and Reyes]. I believe I’m going to be the next opponent for Jon Jones or Dominick for the title.”
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