Previous to the crowning of the second-ever BMF titleholder tonight, a brand new high contender for the vacant mild heavyweight championship will probably be confirmed at UFC 291.
Within the pay-per-view co-main occasion, former 205-pound kingpin Jan Błachowicz will look to safe one other shot at regaining the crown seven months on from a failed bid reverse Magomed Ankalaev in Las Vegas.
Inside Salt Lake Metropolis’s Delta Middle, he’ll welcome ex-middleweight champ Alex Pereira to the upper weight class within the hope of stalling the Brazilian’s two-division ambitions.
Amongst a predominant card that’s tough to foretell, the co-headliner has seemingly cut up followers and pundits probably the most. Whereas Pereira’s punching energy all the time makes a knockout doable, many are backing his Polish opponent to repeat the grappling-heavy offense that noticed him outpoint Israel Adesanya again in 2021.
In accordance with a person conversant in each males, nevertheless, Błachowicz will not be capable to preserve ahold of “Poatan.”
Teixeira Touts Pupil Pereira’s Takedown Protection
All through his transition from kickboxing to combined martial arts, Pereira has had the assistance of former mild heavyweight titleholder Glover Teixeira. And it is protected to say that the ex-fighter’s perception may have been at its most dear forward of UFC 291.
Previous to his retirement, Teixeira loved a quick stint on the throne after unseating Błachowicz by way of submission at UFC 267 in October 2021. Having felt the Polish star’s grappling capacity firsthand and aided in moulding Pereira’s protection, Teixeira is firmly underneath the impression that his pupil will face up to Błachowicz’s takedown makes an attempt.
“I do not imply any disrespect. Błachowicz is a good man,” Teixeira mentioned throughout an episode of the UFC 291 Embedded: Vlog Sequence. “However nobody can maintain Alex. When ‘Poatan’ began, I mentioned he could be the champ in a 12 months and a half, max. In precisely one 12 months, he grew to become the champ. I’m not right here to say (expletive), I’m right here to say the reality. The reality hurts generally.”
And Pereira seems to share that stage of confidence, telling ex-light heavyweight and heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier that his grappling sport has “developed” to no finish because of his work with Teixeira.
“I have been coaching rather a lot. Wrestling’s so vital. That is MMA, you want to have the ability to wrestle,” Pereira mentioned. “I have been coaching with Glover a lot. I can see one of many issues, coaching rather a lot with him, I can see from the coaching how a lot I’ve developed simply by the conditions which are occurring. I can really feel the evolution.”
Pereira will look to show each his and his coach’s phrases appropriate later tonight, when he makes the stroll to throw down with the #3-ranked mild heavyweight contender.
Ought to the previous Glory Kickboxing kingpin efficiently maintain robust reverse Błachowicz’s doubtless grappling initiations en path to a victory, it stands to motive that an enthralling hanging battle with the returning Jiří Procházka will probably be in his sights.
LHW Poatan 🇧🇷#UFC291 | Stay on TNT Sports activities | discovery+ pic.twitter.com/vyOkibYl58
— UFC on TNT Sports activities (@ufcontnt) July 28, 2023
Learn Additionally: Chael Sonnen Makes Daring Prediction For Jan Błachowicz vs. Alex Pereira At UFC 291: ‘It is Not Shut!’
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