By Philip O'Connor
March 5 (Reuters) - Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
could join an elite group at UFC 259 in Las Vegas on Saturday by
holding two belts simultaneously in different weight classes,
but to do so he will have to overcome the power and size of
light-heavyweight incumbent Jan Blachowicz.
Adesanya will make a considerable step-up in weight from 185
to 205 pounds to take on Poland's Blachowicz in the main event
on Saturday.
In the co-main event, Amanda Nunes puts her featherweight
title on the line against Megan Anderson while bantamweight
champion Petr Yan defends his belt against Aljamain Sterling.
Ireland's Conor McGregor became the first "champ champ" when
he added the lightweight belt to his featherweight crown in
2016. Since then Nunes, Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo have all
followed in his footsteps, and Nigeria's Adesanya says he is the
next fighter destined for greatness.
"It's inevitable. I just have to get used to it. I just have
to accept it and not hide from the role that I'm in and not hide
from the platform that I'm on," he told a news conference.
"It (the double champions club) is a very elite, exclusive
club, and I'm going to be the fifth one to join that club."
Widely acknowledged as the greatest female fighter of all
time, Brazil's Nunes is looking to extend an 11-fight winning
streak that includes victories in eight straight title fights at
bantamweight and featherweight when she meets Anderson.
"I feel like she's very dangerous. This is a huge thing in
her gameplan, she's tall and long, I feel that can be a little
difficult, to figure that out," Nunes told reporters.
"But in the first exchange, if I find my timing and
everything, I will finish her," she added.