Ex-UFC champion Jan Blachowicz was far from thrilled with the split decision that was handed down in favor of his UFC 291 opponent, Alex Pereira.
On Saturday night, Blachowicz went toe-to-toe with the former middleweight titleholder in the evening’s co-main event. As expected, Blachowicz took a wrestle-heavy approach in an effort to avoid Pereira’s incredibly dangerous power. The game plan worked for the most part as Blachowicz landed three of eight attempted takedowns and was credited with more than seven-and-a-half minutes of control time.
However, Pereira managed to outstrike his opponent 112 to 82. Clearly, two of the three judges put more stock into the strikes from ‘Poatan’ than the takedowns and control time of Blachowicz, a decision the former 205-pound king did not agree with.
“Bunch of thieves, they robbed me,” Blachowicz wrote on Instagram. “Anyway, thank you all for your support. I’ll be back #LegendaryPolishPower.”
Alex Pereira Will Turn His Attention to the Light Heavyweight Title Following Win Over Jan Blachowicz
Jan Blachowicz is now 1-2-1 in his last four fights. While the Polish powerhouse goes back to the drawing board, Alex Pereira will likely find himself competing for the vacant 205-pound title in his next outing. Following his closely-contested victory inside the Delta Center, ‘Poatan’ made it abundantly clear that adding another UFC title to his resume is the goal.
“My focus is always the belt,” Pereira said through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “I want to fight for the belt, it doesn’t matter against who.”
With previous titleholder Jamahal Hill on the shelf for the foreseeable future, Alex Pereira expects to be matched up with another former light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka. ‘Denisa’ captured the title last year, but was forced to vacate the belt in late 2022 after suffering a devastating shoulder injury. Prochazka has since fully recovered after undergoing surgery and is reportedly ready for a return to the Octagon this fall.
Alexa Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka is, for all intents and purposes, the fight to make at the top of the light heavyweight division. The only question that remains is, who walks out with the 205-pound title wrapped around their waist when two of the promotion’s heaviest hitters clash inside the cage?
