Mick Maynard's Shoes: What's next for Jan Blachowicz after UFC on ESPN 36 win?


See who Jan Blachowicz should fight next after his victory over Aleksandar Rakic in the UFC on ESPN 36 headliner.

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Aleksandar Rakic after UFC on ESPN 36 loss?)

Jan Blachowicz may not have won the UFC on ESPN 36 main event in the fashion he’d drawn up, but in the end got his hand raised against Aleksandar Rakic.

Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was awarded a third-round TKO win via doctor stoppage on Saturday after Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) suffered a knee injury following an awkward back step. It brought the fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas to an immediate halt, and got the Polish fighter back in the win column after he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Glover Teixeira in September.

It’s Blachowicz’s sole goal to regain that 205-pound strap, and he thinks the victory over Rakic – regardless of how it came – put him in lead position to get the winner of next month’s UFC 275 title bout between Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka.

Does Blachowicz make most sense as the lead contender, though? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 36.