Jan Blachowicz usually saves confrontations for the cage rather than social media but he felt compelled to fire back at UFC middleweight Sean Strickland over comments he made about the Russian invasion into the Ukraine.
Also on February 1, Strickland took to Twitter to declare Ukraine “just bow the knee and be Russian.” This elicited an angry response from Blachowicz.
“It is easy to give away someone else’s independence,” Blachowicz wrote. “The history of the Eastern European region is full of struggle and suffering. As a nation and as an individual, Ukraine has seen much. Their resistance is understandable and admirable. Freedom!”
Would you? You can easily give up someone’s freedom… The history of the Eastern European region is full of struggle and suffering. As a nation and as an individual, Ukraine has seen much. Their resistance is understandable and admirable. Freedom!
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) February 28, 2022
Blachowicz, who is from Poland and shares a border to Ukraine, got into a heated argument with Strickland as he tried to help his UFC counterpart after his initial comment caused controversy.
Fighting continues for nearly three months. Blachowicz considers his reaction to Strickland, while acknowledging that it is not something he would normally take the time to do.
” I would not tell him anything, but he is in the same organization as me,” Blachowicz said to MMA Fighting. “We fight for the UFC so I think I have to answer to him because he doesn’t have any idea what’s happening.
“We help the people of Ukraine fleeing from war and what is happening there .”
Poland has served as a safe haven for refugees fleeing Ukraine amid the fighting with around 2. 6 million people coming into the country since the invasion first started. That accounts for 60 percent of the total exodus since Russian forces first stormed the borders in February.
Blachowicz felt that he had a responsibility to Strickland after witnessing the pain of the Ukrainian people.
“My English is too weak to say everything I would like to say,” Blachowicz said. There are terrible things happening. The Russians kill civilian children, mothers with child, crazy things happen over there. This madness must be stopped immediately, I pray.
” When I hear what he’s saying it is just ridiculous and insane, I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure what to tell him .”
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Strickland went onto invoke Poland’s role in World War II, which had Blachowicz sending him several messages but rather than engage in a social media blitz, he hopes that the often outspoken 185-pound contender actually does some research before speaking next time.
“First of all, he needs to learn a little bit more about history,” Blachowicz said. “History about what’s happened here in Poland when it was World War II. What happened in Poland. He can then say more
” But his knowledge about the subject is zero and he attempted to speak intelligently. He will not say .”
. It is better for him.
As he prepares for his return to action in the main event at UFC Vegas 54 on Saturday, Blachowicz has done his best to keep his full focus on the fight as well as his family but it’s impossible to just ignore what’s happening — especially with it happening so close to home.
“It’s weird times,” Blachowicz said. We try to live normal lives, but there is pressure all around. These people are from Ukraine, and you want to assist them in all aspects of their lives. We try to do our best.
” Everyone doesn’t know how this will end. Although we try to be normal, you still feel the pressure. This is a strange situation. It’s a strange feeling .”
