Jan Blachowicz expressed frustration and disappointment with the judges’ decision in his recent fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 291. Blachowicz lost the fight via a narrow split decision, with two judges scoring it 29-28 in favor of Pereira, and one judge scoring it 29-28 for Blachowicz.
The fight saw Blachowicz using his grappling skills in the first round, successfully grounding Pereira for a significant portion of the round. Pereira managed to keep the fight on the feet in the second round, and both fighters had their moments. Round 3 was more contentious, with neither fighter able to assert dominance for extended periods. Pereira continued to showcase his striking skills, while Blachowicz secured a relatively uneventful takedown towards the end of the round.
After the fight, Blachowicz took to Instagram to express his frustration, calling the judges “thieves” and feeling that he was robbed of the victory. The loss puts him behind Pereira in the contenders line, and Blachowicz had hoped to secure another title shot after his previous fight against Magomed Ankalaev ended in a split draw for a vacant belt.
The split decision result highlights the subjective nature of judging in MMA, and it’s not uncommon for fighters to express their discontent with the outcome when fights are closely contested. Despite the disappointment, Blachowicz remains one of the top contenders in the light heavyweight division, and he will likely continue his pursuit of another title shot in the future.