With 2020 on the cusp of ending, there has been a crossroads as to which way the UFC should go when it comes to who gets the shot at the Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz. With Jon Jones relinquishing the belt and seemingly having his eyes on the Heavyweight strap, Jan was the first person not named Daniel Cormier or Jon Jones in the last 10 years. Now, with rising star Israel Adesanya cleaning out the Middleweight division, he has set his eyes on becoming a double champion. But after a dominating win over the former #1 contender Thiago Santos, Glover Texiera has made himself a huge case for getting himself a title shot. So which one of these two options are the best and most likely to end up happening.
Israel Adesanya- Best for Business
After clearing out the division beating the likes of Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum, and even Anderson Silva, Israel Adesanya has become a star in the UFC with a path to become the GOAT. Undefeated at 20-0, he now eyes becoming the 5th ever “Champ-Champ” holding both the Middleweight title and Light Heavyweight title. After winning the title, he hopes to face off against who the boss Dana White says is the GOAT, Jon Jones in what would likely be one of, if not the biggest fight of all time. This would also come roughly at a time where fans would likely be back in play and this fight would sell out an arena. The current record for most attendance in a UFC event is Adesanya vs Whittaker in the Marvel Stadium, Australia, where they sold 56,214 seats. You put Jon Jones in that mix and you have the potential to top that. The only person left to face Adesanya in the Middleweight division is Robert Whittaker who he already beat, and he has earned the reputation to be able to try to become a double champion. Seeing a fight between fighters in the GOAT conversation is rare and when you have the chance to put this together, this isn’t a chance you want to miss. This is on the same level as putting Khabib vs GSP because you know for a fact the fighter that wins this fight, will be regarded as the Greatest of All Time.
Glover Texiera – Best for the Division
With Jon Jones gone from the Division, there seems to be a new life in the Light Heavyweight Division. After losing to Jon Jones in 2014, Glover has remained a staple of the top of the division. Multiple times since then, he has come one fight away from a rematch, only to fall short. Now well in his 40s, Glover has seemed to figure something out winning 5 fights in a row including two title challengers. After a statement win over Thiago Santos, it makes 100% sense for him to get the next shot against Jan Błachowicz. Both of them have a similar story, taking a much harder path to get to the belt than most. For Jan this would allow him to work through his own division and start building his own legacy. This would also allow for the most flow from this division to continue working through it’’s talent allowing the newer Light Heavyweight contenders to get their shot at the belt as well. The division has new life for the first time in 10 years and this chance to release all the buildup from the past will allow for some fresh matches that are sure to deliver. Texiera vs Jan would be an absolute banger with a finish near guaranteed.
My Guess: Israel Adesanya
The odds are is that they are going to go with the money. Whenever that is an option for Dana White, it seems like that is the one he will take. Having the once in a lifetime ability to put two guys at or near their primes like Jones and Adesanya would be one for the ages and not something you would want to pass up.
You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo
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