Jan Blachowicz explains how Michael Bisping helped him KO Luke Rockhold at UFC 239

When it comes to Luke Rockhold’s recent rollercoaster ride with his fighting career, many point to his middleweight title loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 as the beginning of the downward trajectory. In fact, Jan Blachowicz was able to use a piece of Bisping’s in-fight strategy at UFC 239 to put him in a position to be in his own world title conversation.

Blachowicz picked up a big win on Saturday night when he knocked Rockhold out in the second-round. It was a left hook — the same punch Bisping landed on that magical night in June 2016 — that set up the finish.

“I saw the left hook when I prepared for this bout in my dreams, when I (did) my mentality training,” Blachowicz told members of the media during the UFC 239 post-fight press conference. “So I just believed in that. Then I can hit him. I watched how (Michael) Bisping did this in his fight 10,000 times, so I just knew it would come.”

It was a great bounce back performance from Blachowicz who had his four-fight winning streak snapped by UFC 239 title challenger Thiago Santos at UFC on ESPN+ 3 in February. Along with Saturday night’s victory over a former champion in Rockhold, Blachowicz also owns recent wins over Devin Clark, Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa and Nikita Krylov.

With Blachowicz’s recent line of work, partnered up with his highlight reel knockout over the weekend, he believes the light heavyweight title conversation should have his name included — if not, at the very top of the list.

“I think I deserve (it),” Blachowicz said. “I beat Luke Rockhold. He’s (a) great fighter. I knocked him out. So maybe. I would like to, you know? I’m 36 years old. Now is the best time for me.”

If it’s not an immediate shot at the title, Jan Blachowicz believes that an even bigger fight should be on the horizon following Saturday night’s performance.

“I think I come back to the top of the division,” Blachowicz explained in regards to his placement in the light heavyweight division. “Someone from the top.”

Do you believe Jan Blachowicz earned a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones following his win over Luke Rockhold at UFC 239?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/9/2019.