Tag: Jan Blachowicz

Making the light heavyweight division climb for the first time in his Octagon tenure, former undisputed middleweight champion, Alex Pereira is officially slated to make his division bow at UFC 291 this weekend, taking on fellow former titleholder, Jan Blachowicz.

Pereira, who had enjoyed a continued middleweight stay in the UFC since his debut in the organization back in November 2021, successfully made weight for his light heavyweight limit bow against Polish contender, Blachowicz this weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, landing at 205.5 pounds for the title eliminator co-headlining bout.

Alex Pereira successfully makes weight for his UFC 291 return

“The move to light heavyweight is official!” UFC tweeted. @AlexPereiraUFC in at 205.5lbs for tomorrow’s #UFC291 co-main.”

The move to Light Heavyweight if official!@AlexPereiraUFC in at 205.5lbs for tomorrow's #UFC291 co-main pic.twitter.com/TDuVbPLTIJ

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2023

Last making the light heavyweight limit in professional combat sports back in late 2021, Pereira suffered a decision loss to Russian striker, Artem Vakhitov in the pairs light heavyweight championship rematch under the GLORY Kickboxing banner in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

In his most recent Octagon outing, Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight champion, headlined UFC 287 back in April in Miami, Florida – suffering a stunning second round KO loss to arch-rival, Israel Adesanya in the pair’s middleweight title rematch.

Over the course of his Octagon stint, Alex Pereira has landed wins over Andreas Michailidis, compatriot, Bruno Silva, Sean Strickland, and in his title-clinching performance, stopped Adesanya in a rallying performance at UFC 281 back in November at Madison Square Garden. 

As for opponent, Blachowicz, the career light heavyweight made championship weight at 205lbs for their non-title bout tomorrow in ‘The Beehive State’ – with the victor of tomorrow’s barn-burning co-main event expected to compete for a vacant title against former champion, Jiri Prochazka later this year. 

And following tomorrow’s co-headliner between Blachowicz and Pereira, a lightweight rematch between former interim champions, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will take main event status, with symbolic BMF spoils up for grabs. 

Will Alex Pereira land at light heavyweight with a bang at UFC 291?

Former undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz remains confident of landing himself a championship challenge off the back of his UFC 291 clash with Alex Pereira this weekend, claiming he will use “Polish magic” to defeat the Brazilian.

Blachowicz, the current number three ranked light heavyweight contender, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 282 back in December of last year against Russian challenger, Magomed Ankalaev, battling to a split draw in the pair’s vacant title showdown.

As for Pereira, the Sao Paulo knockout artist will make his light heavyweight divisional bow over the weekend at UFC 291 in Utah, returning for the first time since dropping the middleweight title against common-foe, Israel Adesanya back in April in a second round KO defeat.

Jan Blachowicz plots title fight with UFC 291 win over Alex Pereira

Expecting to earn a championship clash against former division gold holder, Jiri Prochazka should he emerge with a win over ex-champion, Pereira this weekend in Salt Lake City, Blachowicz revealed a rather peculiar gameplan to halt the Brazilian’s passage.

“Yes, I use Polish magic,” Jan Blachowicz during an interview with New York Post Sports. “No, I’m using my magic, but only before my own fight. I don’t use [it] when somebody [else] fights. I’m gonna use [it] against (Alex) Pereira, not to anybody else.”

“After this fight, me or Alex – I believe that’s gonna be m3e – we’re gonna have [a] title shot,” Jan Blachowicz explained. “My next fight after Pereira will be, I think, Jiri Prochazka. So for me, nothing changed; it’s just this. For now, I focus only on Alex. I don’t think about what’s gonna happen later. (Transcribed by Bloody Elbow)

Winning vacant light heavyweight gold back in 2020, Blachowicz landed a thunderous second round knockout win over Dominick Reyes, before successfully defending the title against then-middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya the following year in a decision victory. 

Former UFC champion, Daniel Cormier details why the upcoming Alex Pereira and Jan Blawchowicz won’t be for the vacant light-heavyweight title.

Another twist came in the 205lb division this past week when then reigning champion, Jamahal Hill, had suffered an Achillies injury and would vacant the title. This has now left the need for a light-heavyweight vacant title fight, which will be the fourth of its kind in just three years.

Injuries and results have left the division without a clear cut pecking order, and there is no fights booked between the ranked fighters. However, in what had been as an unofficial number one contender match between former 185lb champion, Pereira, and former 205lb ruler Blachowicz.

Alex Pereira looks set to miss out on an immediate title siege at 205lbs

With no champion and no other clear option, many had suggested that the bout, set for July 29, should be the now vacant light-heavyweight title. However, divisional great, Cormier, does not think that the gold should be on the line

“When we look forward to what’s happening next, dude, Jan B?achowicz and Alex Pereira, I thought, ‘Wow, maybe you make that the title fight,’ because that’s what happened with Glover and Jamahal,” Cormier began. “I called (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard, Mick goes, ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’ He goes, ‘Ji?í was supposed to fight for the belt. He was gonna fight Jamahal when he came back.’ He goes, ‘Now you make an interim championship fight, for what? They’re just still the number one contender to fight for a vacant championship when Ji?í comes back.” (H/T MMA News)

Continuing, Cormier clearly believes that adding an undisputed title fight would just confuse the already messy situation.

“So, while the fight between Alex Pereira and Jan B?achowicz became more important, it didn’t become as important as originally thought because they’re not gonna leave with an actual belt. But the result will be the same,” said Cormier. “The winner of that fight will fight Ji?í Procházka when he returns for a championship opportunity. Then you hope that whoever wins that fight and becomes the champ, they can hold on to the title or defend it so that when Jamahal Hill comes back, he’s been promised a title fight.”

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier?

Ahead of his incoming light heavyweight clash against former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira at UFC 291 at the end of this month, former light heavyweight titleholder, Jan Blachowicz stands firm in his plan to share the center of the Octagon with the Brazilian, and slug it out.

Blachowicz, the current number three ranked light heavyweight contender, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 282 back in December, in an impromptu vacant title fight with Russian contender, Magomed Ankalaev, battling over the course of five rounds to a split decision draw.

As for Pereira, the former two-weight GLORY Kickboxing champion, makes his light heavyweight divisional bow at UFC 291 against Polish veteran, Blachowicz, attempting to return to the winner’s enclosure after dropping his middleweight crown to rival, Israel Adesanya back in April in Miami, Florida. 

Jan Blachowicz plans to stand and strike with Alex Pereira at UFC 291

And ahead of the much-anticipated pairing, former KSW champion, Blachowicz claimed that he would be happy to test his striking against Sao Paulo native, Pereira – and insists he still retains that plan to strike with the latter from the onset of their co-headliner.

“I’m a standup fighter,” Jan Blachowicz told Michael Bisping on the Believe You Me podcast. “I like fighting standup. So, I have to check my standup against someone like (Alex) Pereira, but if i don’t feel good – if I take some punches, for sure, I’m going to use wrestling and take him down. Because also, I’m not stupid, you know – I know what I have to do in this fight. And I’ll use all my tools to do it.”

“I will not go for (a) takedown from the locker room, you know,” Jan Blachowicz explained. “I will stand in the middle of the cage and punch with him. And if something goes wrong, then I will start wrestling – but not earlier.”

Prior to his draw against Ankalaev, Blachowicz took a third round TKO win over fellow contender, Aleksandar Rakic in a main event clash back in May of last year to boot. 

And ahead of UFC 291, Blachowicz’s return against Pereira still retains a three round non-title bout billing, despite calls for the pairing to include a now-vacant light heavyweight title, following the relinquishing of Jamahal Hill last week.