UFC champ Jan Blachowicz hopes there'll 'be a lot of blood' in the cage during his title defense Saturday

• Jan Blachowicz defends his UFC light heavyweight title Saturday against Glover Teixeira.
• The champion promised a lot of blood will be spilled on the UFC 267 canvas in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI - UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz hopes there'll "be a lot of blood" in the cage during his title defense Saturday at the UFC 267 event in Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena.

Blachowicz's 205-pound bout with Glover Teixeira tops the 15-fight card in the United Arab Emirates, and puts the 38-year-old Polish titleholder against the 42-year-old challenger from Brazil.

It is a match that pairs two of the division's older men together, and they said throughout the week that it is a chance for them to show the boys how it is done - to fight like the battle-hardened warriors that they are.

It has taken Blachowicz a while to get his respect, but after body kicks from hell, and a champion versus champion win over Israel Adesanya, he finally has the status that he deserves - as the No.1 light heavyweight in the sport.

Teixeira, too, has gotten his dues over time. He is on a thrilling run of late having punched the teeth out of Anthony Smith's mouth in a gruesome win last year.

"He's a great opponent with great skills, and a lot of experience - more than me in the sport," Blachowicz said at a media day Insider attended Wednesday.

Blachowicz said there is no bad blood between himself and Teixeira but told us that nobody should mistake this for the recipe for a dull fight.

"I have to knock him out and I will do it," he said.

Teixeira told reporters similar - that he is a finisher - and Blachowicz is aware of his savviness inside the Octagon.

"He knows how to use experience," Blachowicz said. "He has really good cardio. He knows how to use his boxing skills.

"First of all, he takes you down, makes you tired and then he finishes you on the ground or he knocks you out. But we train for that. We are ready for that … and I will show him how I'm going to beat him on Saturday."

'You know how to kill a zombie'

Earlier in the media day, light heavyweight combatant Volkan Oezdemir, who is also competing Saturday, compared Teixeira's fighting style to a zombie - as he's so relentless.

If that's the case, Blachowicz has an easy solution to top Teixeira.

"If he's a Zombie, you know how to kill a Zombie: you need to hit him in the head, very hard," he said. "So I will do it."

UFC 267 will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the US and BT Sport 2 in the UK.