“He Did It With Izzy”: Alexander Volkanovski Predicts a Israel Adesanya-Like Fate for Alex Pereira Ahead of His Fight Against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291

Alex Pereira is gearing up for his light heavyweight debut against veteran Jan Blachowicz. This fight will be the co-main event of UFC 291 and will be a three-round bout. Meanwhile, undisputed featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski weighed in on the fight. He predicted that ‘Poatan’ will suffer a similar fate against Blachowicz as Israel Adesanya did.

Alex Pereira is looking to regroup after losing his title at UFC 287 to Israel Adesanya, putting their rivalry to bed. Consequently, he decided to make a jump in weight class and got awarded a fight against former champion Blachowicz. But Volkanovski’s analysis might highlight a concern.

Volkanovski believes Alex Pereira will have a similar experience to that of Israel Adesanya

‘The Great’ gave his thoughts about the Blachowicz vs. Pereira bout in a recent YouTube video. He claimed that Alex Pereira might suffer the same fate that ‘The Last Stylebender’ faced when he fought Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. Volkanovski said, “I think it’s going to be a similar sort of fight to the last guy, the middleweight that went up [Israel Adesanya].”

The featherweight champion did not count out the problems Alex Pereira can cause his opponents. Keeping this in mind, he ideated that Blachowicz would look to take the Brazilian down with his grappling skills. Volkanovski further added, “He’s going to want to grab a hold of him and take him down. I think he’s gonna push for it.”

Moreover, Volkanovski also mentioned that the only way Alex Pereira can look to have the upper hand is by catching Blachowicz with a strike as soon as he comes in to try to take him down. That will be the Brazilian ace’s way to put pressure on his opponent. The featherweight champion said, “If that pressure makes Jan a little hesitant, he [Pereira] can definitely catch Jan with his hands.” However, he is of the belief that the veteran has more chance of winning the fight.

Further, fight fans have rarely seen Pereira grapple. So if Blachowicz successfully takes down the Brazilian, he could be in a tough spot.

‘The Great’ is leaning heavily towards Blachowicz

Jan Blachowicz is one of the best well-rounded fighters in the light-heavyweight division. While Pereira is good with his striking skills, the former light-heavyweight champion is well-versed in both striking and the ground game. This is why Volkanovski claimed that Blachowicz has more chance of winning the fight. He said, “Jan has definitely more ways of winning… It favors Jan, the fact that it’s a three-rounder. “

Moreover, the Polish fighter always sticks to a game plan. He showcased that pretty well in his winning effort against Israel Adesanya. Volkanovski added, “He will throw things out there to stick to a game plan. He did it with Izzy. So I am gonna have to lean towards Jan.”

‘Izzy’ faced Blachowicz back in March 2021 (UFC 259) but fell short. He lost the bout via a unanimous decision and failed to secure the light heavyweight title as well.

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Like Adesanya, Alex Pereira is mostly famous for his standup game. However, he has been working with his mentor Glover Teixeira for a long time, who is well acquainted with grappling skills. But Blachowicz has been a fighter with his well-rounded skill set for a long time. It is uncertain as to who will emerge victorious this weekend at UFC 291.

Who do you think will win? Pereira or Blachowicz? Drop your comments below.

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