UFC 253: Jan Blachowicz has Jon Jones in his sights after clinching light heavyweight crown

Newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has set sights on a clash with former belt-holder Jon Jones after dispatching Dominick Reyes emphatically in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

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The giant Pole, 37, endorsed his recent rise through the promotion by stopping his rival in the second round of the co-main event at Flash Forum. He downed Reyes, 31, with a flurry of blows not long before the bell sounded.

Sealing his first UFC title, Blachowicz extended his winning streak to four, while moving to 8-1 in his past nine fights.

He’s now looking for a shot at Jones, who vacated the belt last month to move up to heavyweight. Many consider the American to be the greatest UFC athlete of all time.

“Right now we can talk about him because I didn’t want to talk about him before the fight because my opponent was Dominick,” Blachowicz said at the post-fight press conference. “Now I don’t have an opponent, so Jon Jones why not?

“Nobody knows what he’s doing right now, so we’ll see. He promised me this fight in [his hometown] Albuquerque after I knocked out Corey Anderson.”

With Jones still viewed as an unlikely next opponent, Blachowicz said he would be keen to avenge his most recent defeat: the February 2019 loss to Thiago Santos.

Blachowicz, whose record now stands at 27-8 (10-5 in UFC), proved too strong on Sunday for Reyes, who entered the contest as favourite but suffered the second defeat of his career.

“I still don’t believe, but it’s here,” Blachowicz said. “It’s not a dream right? It happened. I have the legendary Polish power; I proved it one more time. Amazing.

“It’s been a long journey for me. Sometimes I was on the top, then I lose a couple fights, but I never stop believing in my skills, in my power. Here I am, the champion. Like I said before, even a pandemic can’t stop me right now.

“I feel really great in the fight. I saw almost everything he did. In the second round when I broke his nose, I knew that the finish will be soon. I hope that [Jones] watched the fight and that he cuts his weight again and that we meet at 205 [lbs].”

UFC 253 opened “Return to Fight Island”, the second residency in Abu Dhabi. With four more events to come, it closes with UFC 254 on October 24.

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)

Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)

Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)

Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.	United States
2.	China
3.	UAE
4.	Japan
5	Norway
6.	Canada
7.	Singapore
8.	Australia
9.	Saudi Arabia
10.	South Korea

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Director: Venkat Prabhu

Rating: 2/5

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Ahmed Raza

UAE cricket captain

Age: 31

Born: Sharjah

Role: Left-arm spinner

One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95

T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.

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