In what was described as the most anticipated clash of the year, the 38-year-old Pole scored a unanimous points decision in his favour: 49-46, 49-45 and 49-45.
It was the first defeat inflicted on 31-year-old Adesanya, the Nigeria-born middleweight king of New Zealand, who was looking to become the fifth double-weight world champion in UFC history.
Błachowicz came into the fight as the underdog. He managed to bounce back from a slow start and began to take control in the fourth round when a big left hander and a takedown saw him keep Adesanya under wraps on the ground.
He had Adesanya down again in the fifth for a sustained period of pressure that put the decision beyond doubt.
“Now I think I deserve some respect. I’m the true champion right now,” a triumphant Błachowicz said after the fight.
(mo)
Source: PAP, Reuters