UFC 291 judges rewarded biased win to Alex Pereira to 'screw' with Jan Blachowicz, says Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen, the former UFC middleweight star, has expressed his doubts about Alex Pereira's victory over Jan Blachowicz in the light heavyweight co-main event at UFC 291.
While Blachowicz displayed strong grappling skills in the first round and Pereira showcased impressive striking abilities in the second, the third round was inconclusive, with neither fighter asserting dominance for an extended period.
The fight ended with Alex Pereira winning via a narrow split decision. However, many disagreed with the result and believed Jan Blachowicz should've won the contest.
BY SPLT DECISION!!
@AlexPereiraUFC takes a CLOSE one over Blachowicz at #UFC291! pic.twitter.com/cWEOMioYTu
In a recent video uploaded to his Youtube channel, Chael Sonnen speculated that the judges gave Pereira the win to "screw" Blachowicz out of a potential title shot. He said:
"There is no reasonable world where Alex Pereira won that fight...It was wrong... There's nothing by the numbers that could get you to the conclusion that Alex won."
He continued:
"Jan Blachowicz was exhausted, and Alex was not... Jan Blachowicz, with his hand raised, in no scenario does Dana White come out and say, "I'm going to take that man who couldn't finish five rounds and put him in a five-rounder."
Catch Sonnen's comments below (1:00):
UFC 291: Jan Blachowicz claims judges robbed him of a victory against Alex Pereira
Jan Blachowicz is not happy about losing the split decision against Alex Pereira and recently aired his frustration on social media.
In their light heavyweight showdown at UFC 291, judges Derek Cleary and Ron McCarthy scored the fight 29-28 for Pereira, with Junichiro Kamijo the dissenting judge with 29-28 for Blachowicz. While many believed the 40-year-old deserved to have gotten his hand raised, the result ultimately went Pereira's way.
Understandably upset by the outcome, Jan Blachowicz took to Instagram to vent. Claiming he defeated Alex Pereira and was unfairly robbed, he wrote:
"Bunch of thieves, they robbed me. Anyway, thank you for all your support. I'll be back."
Jan Blachowicz feels he was "robbed" at #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/1WyztZDvMO
Blachowicz last tasted victory against Alexsandar Rakic in May 2022. Before the UFC 291 loss, he faced Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282 for the light heavyweight title in a fight that ended in a split draw.
Meanwhile, Pereira rebounded from his first loss against Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. Now 4-1 in his last five outings, the Brazilian could find himself gearing up to fight for the vacant 205-pound belt.
Title shot up next!?
@AlexPereiraUFC ready for a chance at 205-lb gold after #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/FqeSvyL4WI