Jan Blachowicz shares honest opinion on Magomed Ankalaev's chances against Alex Pereira: "He needs to change"
Alex Pereira last entered the octagon in October as he defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. via fourth-round TKO at UFC 307 to defend his light heavyweight title for the third time in 2024. While 'Poatan' has received plenty of praise for consistently taking matchups on short notice to save pay-per-view cards, he has also faced criticism for not facing Magomed Ankalaev yet.
While many believe the No.1-ranked light heavyweight poses the biggest threat in the division, Jan Blachowicz sees things differently. Having faced both fighters, the former light heavyweight champion weighed in on the potential matchup during a recent interview with James Lynch of Home of Fight. He said:
"If Ankalaev will fight like last fight with [Aleksandar] Rakic, he's going to lose the fight. He needs to do something more. He needs to be like, I don't know, but - he is good fighter, but it's not enough for Pereira in this kind of style. He needs to change."
Blachowicz continued:
"He needs to be more - he has to believe in that which he's doing. I think he doesn't believe. He just wants to win the fight, but don't take too much punches. He is very careful in this what he's doing and I think this kind of way, fighting with Pereira, will not work."
Check out Jan Blachowicz's comments on a potential matchup between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira below:
Blachowicz fought Ankalaev to a split decision draw for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 282. He welcomed 'Poatan' to the division at UFC 291 in July 2023, suffering a controversial split decision loss.
Magomed Ankalaev shares potential timeline for Alex Pereira clash
Magomed Ankalaev has not been shy about his desire to challenge Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title. The No.1-ranked light heavyweight recently claimed that he is still waiting for the champion to accept the matchup, revealing that he expects the two to share the octagon in May 2025.
Championship Rounds shared Ankalaev's comments to X, tweeting:
"🚨 Magomed Ankalaev says that Alex Pereira hasn't yet accepted the offer to fight him, but believes their fight could take place in May [via. TASS] #UFC #MMA"
Check out the post from Championship Rounds below:
The Brazilian is on vacation following his UFC 307 victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. He previously revealed that he intends to make it difficult for Ankalaev to receive a title shot.