All MMA fans will be eagerly looking ahead to UFC 267 in October 2021. As usual, there are lots of great fights on the card, but the main event is Jan Blachowicz against Glover Teixeira for the Light Heavyweight title. Blachowicz is the current champion and famously defended his crown against Israel Adesanya in March 2021 at UFC 259. This was a fabulous battle and eventually saw the Polish-born fighter take the decision.
This headline-grabbing win has led many people to wonder whether Blachowicz is untouchable going into UFC 267. But is this true? A good starting point is looking at what odds he has been given against Teixeira. This not only gives a good idea of how strongly people prefer him to win but also means you can be informed of the best odds if you decide to place a bet yourself. Currently, Blachowicz is showing odds of -265, which signals that he is expected to win comfortably. It’s only a matter of time before the champion pops up as pundits MMA bet of the day once more.
But what reasons are there to believe the current champ could be hard to beat?
Blachowicz will take confidence from Adesanya win
UFC 267 is set to be a top event — in addition to this fight, there will be others, such as Makhachev vs dos Anjos, set to go ahead. But what about Blachowicz against Teixeira? There is no doubt that the confidence from the Adesanya victory will help to make Blachowicz an even tougher opponent to face.
As with most sports, confidence is key in MMA. The mental lift that beating Adesanya must have given Blachowicz could make him almost unbeatable. Let’s not forget that Adesanya was on a long winning streak before his loss at UFC 259. Due to this, the Polish fighter is expected to be in a very good place mentally going into UFC 267.
Confidence from winning streak
In addition to the mental boost that beating such a feared and skilled opponent as Adesanya must bring, extending his winning streak to five bouts must also be a big uplift. This is likely to make Blachowicz feel confident that he has the form to be dominant at UFC 267. In turn, this will help him step into the cage with no fear. Of course, having a good winning streak also means the Polish fighter has something to defend. When you add in that he is also defending the Light Heavyweight title, you can assume that Blachowicz will be very motivated to perform.
Teixeira might be vulnerable to Blachowicz’s punching
Although Blachowicz is more known for submissions, grappling, and grinding opponents down with immense pressure, he is also a decent puncher and someone who can go the distance during a fight. This could make him hard for his opponent Glover Teixeira to contend with.
A look at Teixeira’s record shows that out of seven losses, two were from being knocked out by punches. Another was a TKO with punches/knees and the rest were all decisions that went against him. If Blachowicz can use accurate punching and maintain his stamina, then it could be too much for the Brazilian.
No one is untouchable in UFC!
With the confidence from defending his title against a top pro in Adesanya plus his current winning streak, Blachowicz is in good shape moving into UFC 267. As in boxing though, MMA is a sport where nothing can be taken for granted. Who would have predicted seeing Mike Tyson’s shock loss to Buster Douglas in 1990 for example? With this in mind, labeling Blachowicz as untouchable is dangerous.
His next fight at UFC 267 will certainly not be easy, his opponent is on a winning streak of his own and has been a pro-fighter since 2002. This combines with superb submission skills, awesome finishing, and groundwork to make the Brazilian Pitbull menacing. Teixeira will also be pumped up to win because it is a title fight. This means that UFC 267 is no foregone conclusion for Blachowicz.
UFC 267 main event will be entertaining
Although it is hard to say what will happen for sure in the Blachowicz vs Teixeira fight at UFC 267 in October, it is probably not wise to label either contestant as untouchable. As Blachowicz’s win against Adesanya shows, even fighters on long, dominant winning streaks can taste defeat. The only thing that looks fairly certain is that their match-up will be full of drama and action!
