UFC 291: Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Alex Pereira moves up to the UFC light heavyweight, and his first bout will be against the former champion Jan Blachowicz. The Brazilian has a significant motive to win here, with him debuting in the new division and aiming to win the belt in the end and avenge his sparing partner and mentor, Glover Teixeira, who used to reign among the light heavyweights. On the other side, Blachowicz is keen to get regain his throne, and in the situation where the current champ, Jamahal Hill, isn’t in a position to fight, we just might see a winner of this event in the title bout. 

Preview

Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1, -110) had a grueling back-and-forth event against Magomed Ankalaev, which ended with a draw. It was a fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, and it ended without winners, but it gave the fans plenty of action. 

The Pole is a late bloomer, as it reached its peak way after 35 years. After experiencing a very poor start to his UFC career, Blachowicz made a radical change and began trashing his rivals, having nine wins and one loss in one period. He returned the favor against all the guys who beat him, won the title, defended it against Adesanya, and made a name for himself. Afterward, we saw him lose to Pereira, win against Rakic, who injured himself and meet Ankalaev.

Blachowicz is a kickboxer, whose punches are devastating. Yes, he combines leg kicks as well, but the hooks and jabs this guy sends are maybe the strongest in the division. The majority of his victories in the UFC were via KO, but nine of 29 in his career were after submission and 11 after a decision.

Alex Pereira (+110) is in his natural division now. Poatan was cutting weight with difficulties in recent times, and that’s why we had to go up and avoid problems in the middleweight. This guy was a physical monster for the middleweights, often 10 to 15 pounds heavier than his rivals, which gave him a massive advantage. 

Pereira’s record in the MMA is 7-2, with him rushing into the UFC, posting four wins in a row before getting a chance to fight his old rival from the kick-boxing days, Adesanya, whom he dethroned at the UFC 281. Izzy returned the favor a couple of months later.

Poatan is a fantastic kickboxer, and his history in that sport is impressive, as he used to rule the Glory organization for years. That’s where he beat Adesanya twice. Pereira’s cardio was fine until now, but we haven’t seen his ground game. He worked on that with Glover, but we never actually saw him on the mat. 

Prediction

These two guys have a similar reach, but Blachowicz looks bigger than the Brazilian. His wrestling will present the difference here. Just remember how he defeated Adesanya, who is a similar fighter to Pereira, one might say his replica. Back then, Blachowicz used his power to take down the rival and score points on the mat, which we firmly believe would also happen in this battle.

Pick: Blachowicz win -110

Here are more UFC 291 previews:

• Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje