Alex Pereira moved up to Light Heavyweight at UFC 291 as he faced former champion Jan Blachowicz for his division UFC debut. Coming off the back of a knockout loss to Israel Adesenya back in April. This was Blachowicz’s first fight back after his draw to Magomed Ankalaev back in December.
As the fight started, Blachowicz seemed to be using his wrestling as his aimed way to victory. The man from Poland shot for a takedown very quickly in round 1. This resulted in a round of control and a clear 10-9 for the Polish powerhouse. Round 2 was the opposite. Pereira was able to defend takedowns and keep the fight on the feet mainly, taking a clear 10-9 himself.
Third and final round was very close. This resulted in many split scorecards. Blachowicz was clearly gassed, but continued to pile on the pressure. Pereira looked calm and still with lots in the tank as he landed shots. The fight ended with Blachowicz managing to takedown the Brazilian. This seemed to not influence the judges though as Pereira won a 29-28 split decision.
This got the fighters talking on social media, showcasing their views on what they had just seen.
Fighters React to Alex Pereira Win Over Jan Blachowicz
The UFC roster had divided opinions on the UFC 291 co-main event result. At 40-years-old it could be the last attempt at re-claiming the light heavyweight crown for Jan Blachowicz. As for Pereira, the bout marked his light heavyweight debut, and no better scalp to take other than a former champion of the division.
The Brazilian has made his intentions clear that he wants to fight for gold next, and will do anything in his power to make it a reality.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
