For those in the fighting realm, heading into a fight is pretty much like going to war, and many fighters have distinct pre-fight rituals that have stood out in MMA history. From Alex Pereira‘s intriguing bow and arrow ritual during walkouts to Clay Guida getting slapped by his team before entering the Octagon, there have been some memorable ones over the years. However, no fighter has a pre-fight ritual as unsettling as former UFC light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz, who’s making his return at UFC London.
In a video Jan Blachowicz posted more than four years ago on YouTube, the Polish star revealed his unusual pre-fight ritual before his UFC 253 fight against Dominick Reyes. The former champion opened up on the tradition he had before his UFC fighters, where he touches a rope that was used by a man who appeared to have taken his life. Here’s what Blachowicz had to say.
Jan Blachowicz reveals the truth behind his pre-fight ritual
Jan Blachowicz happened to take his dog through a forest where he stumbled upon a deceased individual. It appears that the person had hung himself. Upon seeing that, the former champ alerted the authorities, who asked him if he had taken anything from the scene of investigation in his possession—especially the rope. If you’re wondering why the police asked him about taking the rope, it’s because, according to popular belief, these ropes are (or were) considered good luck charms.
“When you find a hanged man, you take his rope for luck. That’s what people believed in the old days,” Jan Blachowicz stated on his YouTube channel. Claiming that he had done his research, the former champion added, “I checked the internet, and sure enough, that is exactly what people thought and believed in. If you don’t believe me, check for yourself.”
Blachowicz seems to be telling the truth here because certain sources, especially the book Executing Magic in the Modern Era: Criminal Bodies and the Gallows in Popular Medicine by Francesca Matteoni and Owen Davies, substantiate his claims. Published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the book claims that it was pretty popular among the Parisians during the 1880s. This belief became popular when a chemist’s assistant in Amiens won a lottery after acquiring a piece of rope used by a deceased individual.
However, Jan Blachowicz didn’t feel comfortable taking a piece of the rope with him but decided to visit the forest and touch the rope every time he had a fight. In recent times, though, Blachowicz was seen wearing that noose as a wristband, which left Daniel Cormier in a bit of shock.
Daniel Cormier was shocked by Blachowicz’s noose
During the UFC 259 weigh-in show, Jan Blachowicz caught up with Laura Sanko for a chat and they brought up the forest rope story. The Polish star was wearing a noose at that time and later, Sanko would later open up about the story to other analysts on the panel, including Daniel Cormier, mentioning the noose. “The dead man’s noose around his wrist…He (Jan Blachowicz) was walking in the woods. He found a dead body,” Sanko stated.
‘DC’ appeared confused, as instead of understanding that the noose was made from the rope of a man who hanged himself, Daniel Cormier thought Blachowicz stole a bracelet from a deceased person. “He took the bracelet?” It indeed was funny to see the misunderstanding. But it points out the bizarre pre-fight rituals that fighters have and the history of their practices.
Well, do you think Jan Blachowicz’s pre-fight ritual helped him this weekend at UFC Fight Night 255 in London against Carlos Ulberg? Drop your comments below.
The post Why Does Jan Blachowicz Touch the Rope From a Hanged Man Before His Fights? UFC Star’s Bizarre Ritual Explained appeared first on EssentiallySports.