Jan Blachowicz has shared how he thinks his UFC 291 clash against Alex Pereira will end.
UFC 291 will be headlined by a BMF Championship fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje on July 29. Blachowicz vs. Pereira takes the co-headlining spot and this one likely has title implications. Many believe the winner is likely due for a vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship opportunity against former titleholder Jiří Procházka.
The previous champion, Jamahal Hill, relinquished the title after suffering a ruptured Achilles.
Blachowicz is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, so he's looking to become a two-time titleholder. A win over Pereira, who is a former UFC Middleweight Champion, would certainly bring him closer to another title fight.
Ahead of fight night in Salt Lake City, Jan Blachowicz appeared on Michael Bisping's "Believe You Me" podcast and shared his prediction for the UFC 291 bout against Alex Pereira.
"What I see? Great fight in the standup in the first round," Blachowicz said. "But second round, I take him down or knock him out or submit him on the ground. This is what I see, this is what I do when I do my visualization."
Pereira is known for his standup game, but Glover Teixeira has served as his mentor. Teixeira had punching power himself, but truly became known for his grappling. Blachowicz shared whether or not he feels Pereira has learned enough to be effective on the ground.
"For sure, he's gonna learn something, but I think it's too short," Blachowicz said. "I have to be ready for everything, but maybe he's someone like a superhero and learns so fast and he will be great on the ground. So, I have to be careful. We also do this part of the job in the gym, but I don't think so. He's a standup fighter and he will try to be the whole fight on his feet."
If you use any quotes from this article, please leave a H/T to MMAKnockout.com for the transcription.
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