Jan Blachowicz plans to keep former middleweight champion Alex Pereira guessing on his strategy for their upcoming fight at UFC 291, with the possibility of using his wrestling skills or testing his standup against Pereira, insisting that a victory is the ultimate goal, irrespective of the method.
The mixed martial artist, Jan Blachowicz, has several strategies in mind for defeating Alex Pereira at UFC 291. However, he has decided to keep the ex-middleweight champion on his toes by not revealing his strategy until they face off in the cage. As Pereira prepares for his first match at 205 pounds in MMA, Blachowicz explained that he accepted the matchup under the premise that the UFC would give him a shot at the title, should he emerge victorious. While Blachowicz might decide to use the path of least resistance and pull on his wrestling abilities to defeat the Brazilian, he’s also open to pitting himself against Pereira at any point in the match.
Being prepared for any move Pereira might throw at him, Blachowicz is not ruling out the use of wrestling or ground game tactics. He said, “I’m going to be ready for everything that he’s got for me. I don’t forget about the wrestling and the ground game, because maybe I’m going to have to use it.” However, Blachowicz has expressed his eagerness to test his standup abilities against Pereira since he is recognized as one of the best in the world. Blachowicz confidently stated, “I believe I can knock him out.”
Throughout his term as the UFC light heavyweight champion, Blachowicz cultivated a powerful striking style, which he refers to as “legendary Polish power.” This helped him bag knockouts of Luke Rockhold, Corey Anderson, and Dominick Reyes, eventually making him the champion. This is why he’s not averse to engaging with Pereira in striking exchanges. Additionally, Blachowicz pointed out the differences between MMA and boxing or kickboxing. He stated the necessity of concentration in the areas of takedowns, fighting in proximity to the cage, and dirty boxing, which he mentions are not present in boxing and kickboxing.
In theory, Blachowicz could be risking by striking exchanges with Pereira, who boasts a reputation as a dedly knockout artist in the world while competing as a two-division GLORY champion. Despite having only nine MMA fights to his name, Pereira is somewhat of a novice compared to Blachowicz who has a far more superior experience. Realising this, Blachowicz is well aware that his game plan during UFC 291 offers him a wide array of options. Not losing his confidence, Blachowicz stated, “I want to prove to the world that my standup is better than his standup. That I am a better fighter than he is… no matter how, no matter why.” He firmly believes that he will either knock out Pereira or submit him in the second round.