While Magomed Ankalaev is confident he has the skills to beat Alex Pereira, one ex-UFC champion remains unconvinced.
The pair of light-heavyweight titans have been on a collision course for quite some time, with fans desperate to see the icons finally go toe-to-toe in the cage.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Jan Blachowicz is confident that Alex Pereira will beat Magomed Ankalaev
Jan Blachowicz believes Magomed Ankalaev is in for a rude awakening if he steps foot in the cage with Alex Pereira.
Although the big clash has yet to be formally announced, the MMA community is hopeful that the UFC can get the bout over the line.
'Polish Power' fought the Russian himself at UFC 282, with the fight ending in a controversial draw, with many believing his opponent had done enough to get his hand raised.
Anyway, as he rates his old rival, Blachowciz worries about what will happen if the contender collides with 'Poatan'.
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In an interview with Home of Fight he said: “If Ankalaev will fight like the last fight with Aleksandar Rakic, he will lose the fight. So he has to do something more.
“He is a good fighter, but for Pereira this kind of style is not enough. He has to change, he has to believe in what he is doing, I don't think he believes, he just wants to win the fight, but don't take too many punches, he is very careful. This is what he does. I don't think this way of working will work for Pereira.”
Jan Blachowicz trains in a secret camp ahead of Carlos Ulberg's fight
In addition to fighting Ankalaev, the Pole has also exchanged leather with Pereira, indicating he is still very much in the picture at the top of the light-heavyweight tree.
With that in mind, he hopes to put on a big performance against Carlos Ulberg to earn another shot at the throne, even going so far as to train at an undisclosed facility.
Blachowicz claimed: “[The camp is] a secret for now… I have to change something. Because I'm almost 42. So I have to train in a slightly different way. But we're going to do similar things. I know how to beat people; I know how to fight. I don't want to be tired in the fight. So I have to focus on the cardio.
“I have everything. I have knockout punching power, I can punch well, I can wrestle well, I have a good jiu-jitsu game. I need to focus on the cardio. Because I breathed very heavily at Pereira last time, I don't want to make that mistake again.”
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