‘Another Tony Ferguson Era Loading’ – Jan Blachowicz’s Robert Whittaker Callout Goes off the Rails

Jan Blachowicz isn’t exactly coming off the kind of night that usually leads to a fight callout. Just days after being stopped by Navajo Stirling in brutal fashion at UFC’s Serbia debut, the former light heavyweight champion appears ready to move on. His target? Robert Whittaker.

Blachowicz responded to Whittaker’s recent comments about a potential matchup with a simple message. That was enough to get the fandom talking, but not necessarily in the way the Polish veteran would have hoped. 

Jan Blachowicz Wants Robert Whittaker, Fight Fans Aren’t Convinced

Whittaker had already put Blachowicz's name on his radar after making a successful move to light heavyweight.

The former UFC Middleweight Champion knocked out Nikita Krylov at UFC 329 in July, stopping him at 1:01 of the third round in his 205-pound debut. The win snapped a two-fight skid and gave “Bobby Knuckles” a strong start in a new division.

Whittaker has since made it clear that a fight with the Polish powerhouse is one that interests him. In fact, the matchup makes sense on paper, too. Both men are former UFC champions, both have spent years competing at the highest level, and Whittaker is now trying to establish himself at the same weight class where the 43-year-old once held the throne.

Blachowicz, however, didn't wait around for the UFC to put anything together. He took to social media and tagged Whittaker with a short one-liner, “Hey, @robwhittakermma! Let’s turn your words into action.”

But considering what had just happened to him at the Belgrade Arena, fans were quick to push back. “Didn’t you just get battered on the weekend?” one fan asked.

Another one took a more concerned approach, telling the veteran to take some time away from fighting and “enjoy your family, your life, your brain while it is still healthy.”

But soon came sarcasm and satire pointed straight at him, “Jan did you just wake up? Come on man… just retire and call it. We thank you for your service but man come on.” Then there was the comment that perhaps best captured the mood surrounding the callout - “Another Tony Ferguson era loading.”

In hindsight, that comparison did not come out of nowhere. “The Boogeyman’s” late-career run became one of the most uncomfortable storylines in MMA, with the former interim lightweight champion repeatedly returning to competition despite a long string of losses.

Robert Whittaker Has Momentum, Jan Blachowicz Trying to Find it Again

Blachowicz's recent record, however, isn't quite that extreme, but fans' concern is easy to understand. His last victory came in May 2022, when he stopped Aleksandar Rakic after the latter suffered a knee injury. 

Since then, the Polish has met with Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov, both times the bouts ending in a draw, while losing decisions to Alex Pereira and Carlos Ulberg before Saturday's stoppage against Stirling.

In a nutshell, that is one win in his last seven fights, and that win came more than four years ago. For a fighter who once sat on top of the light heavyweight division, the fall has been difficult to watch.

On the other hand, Whittaker entered 2026 with a chip on his shoulder. He had lost back-to-back fights, first to former middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 and then to Reinier de Ridder by split decision in July 2025. 

However, his last victory before that stretch had come in June 2024, when he knocked out Ikram Aliskerov. Instead of continuing at middleweight, Whittaker decided it was time for a fresh start at 205 pounds.

He later revealed that the constant weight cuts had taken much of the enjoyment out of fighting. The move paid off immediately.

Whittaker looked light on his feet and explosive against Krylov, eventually forcing the stoppage early in the third round. Blachowicz, in comparison, is in a very different position.

Jan Blachowicz Falling on Hard Times

The Pole captured the vacant light heavyweight championship by knocking out Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 in 2020. He then produced one of the biggest wins of his career when he successfully defended the belt against Israel Adesanya at UFC 259.

His reign ended against Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 later that year, though. Since then, the wins have largely disappeared. That said, there is still plenty of respect for what Blachowicz has accomplished. He was a UFC champion, defended his belt against one of the greatest middleweights ever, and spent years as one of the division's most dangerous veterans.