Polish power faced off with Brazilian precision in the UFC 291 co-main event as Jan Blachowicz took on former GLORY Kickboxing double champion Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira — who showed much improved takedown defense in winning a split decision after early adversity.
The former light-heavyweight chamipion Błachowicz is known as a skilled striker but has wrestling chops as well, which many fans expected to be brought out due to facing one of the scariest strikers in UFC history. ‘Poatan’ was moving up to light-heavyweight after his famous series with Israel Adesanya, where each man won the middleweight belt by knocking the other out, with Alex winning first and then Israel. This fight took place barely three months after his loss to Adesanya. The winner could likely expect a shot at the vacant title in their next fight.
After the glove touch Jan immediately shot in for a single leg takedown. Pereira threatened the neck with a standing guillotine but Błachowicz gave a thumbs up and kept working for the takedown. He kneed Poatan in the thighs a few times and tried to drag Pereira down again but Alex stayed up, though stuck in the clinch. Then Jan was able to pull Pereira down and establish top control. Pereira tried to stand back up but Błachowicz jumped on the back with a body triangle and attacked the rear-naked choke with Alex kneeling. He almost locked it up quickly but Pereira stripped Jan’s hands away and avoided being submitted quickly. Błachowicz began to fall off the side but the fence kept him on the back. The Polack dropped a hammerfist and then looked to attack the choke again, but was unsuccessful. Pereira went down to the mat to try to get Jan off of him but Błachowicz kept his position and Poatan could only ride out the round.
The second round began with Pereira trying to get his strikes off, starting with jabs and leg kicks. Jan kept his guard up for the most part but threw some low kicks back himself. Jan came forward ninety seconds in and caught Pereira with the best strike of the fight thus far, a clean left hook. Błachowicz followed up with a right hand that landed and then a powerful double leg takedown which put him in the guard of the Brazilian.
Pereira worked to wall-walk up while stuffing the head and was able to get to his feet but was still stuck in the clinch. Błachowicz used his right underhook and head position to control Alex. Pereira was then able to break free from the clinch and get back to space where he pressured Jan and looked to land his left hook. Błachowicz began to look tired and shelled up against the fence with twenty seconds left in the round. He came back with a left hook of his own but Pereira pushed him back again and hurt him with a right hand right at the bell.
Błachowicz looked tired and beat up at the start of the final round. Alex targeted him with more body jabs and leg kicks on an already beat up left leg of Jan. Błachowicz was not done yet though as he came back with a combination that ended with a decent body kick. Jan came forward with a left hook followed by a right which connected, pushing Alex back. But Pereira always regained his composure and came forward while looking dangerous. Halfway through the round Błachowicz came forward with a takedown that Pereira easily stuffed. Although he could not get the takedown he did have some success on the feet, though he looked far less comfortable. Pereira stung him with a hook with ninety seconds left. With forty five seconds left Jan got a single leg takedown and settled in the guard of Pereira. However he was unable to do much damage before the bell rang and the fight went to the judges.
When the judge’s scorecards were read it was a split decision. Every judge had it 29-28 but two had it for Alex Pereira while only one had it for Jan Błachowicz. In the post-fight interview Alex called for a shot at the light-heavyweight throne, which seemed likely to materialize
Official Result: Alex Pereira def. Jan Blachowicz by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
