Jan Blachowicz has officially announced his withdrawal from the rematch with Bogdan Guskov at UFC 328 due to a torn meniscus. This is the second report confirming the Polish fighter's injury and the cancellation of the May 9 bout. Blachowicz made the announcement himself, providing official confirmation beyond earlier reports. The former light heavyweight champion will need time to recover from the knee injury before returning to competition. No timeline for his return or information about potential rescheduling of the Guskov fight has been provided. This marks a setback for Blachowicz, who was looking to avenge his previous loss to Guskov.
Jan Blachowicz has officially confirmed he is pulling out of his scheduled rematch with Bogdan Guskov at UFC 328 on May 9 after sustaining a torn meniscus, ending what would have been one of the more anticipated light heavyweight matchups on that card.
Blachowicz, 43, made the announcement himself, lending official weight to reports that had already begun to circulate about the injury. The former light heavyweight champion carries a record of 29-11-2 and is currently ranked fifth in the division. The Polish fighter out of WCA Fight Team stands six-foot-two with a 78-inch reach and has averaged 3.44 significant strikes per minute over his career, landing at a 49 percent accuracy rate. He was seeking to avenge a prior loss to Guskov in this now-cancelled bout.
Guskov, known as "Czarevitch," entered the matchup ranked tenth in the light heavyweight division with a record of 18-3-1. The 33-year-old from Uzbekistan fights out of GOR MMA and presents a different offensive profile from Blachowicz — the six-foot-three striker averages 4.17 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate, while also mixing in 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. He had no takedown attempts on record per 15 minutes, making him a primarily stand-and-submit threat.
No timeline for Blachowicz's recovery has been provided, and there is currently no information on whether the fight will be rescheduled.
Why it matters
- Blachowicz's withdrawal removes a ranked top-five light heavyweight from the UFC 328 card with less than three weeks to go
- A win over Blachowicz would have moved Guskov, currently ranked tenth, meaningfully up the divisional ladder
- The cancellation leaves the rematch narrative unresolved, with Blachowicz denied the chance to avenge his earlier defeat
Saturday, May 9, 2026
