"Better than Alex Pereira did" - MMA analyst warns not to "overlook" UFC London fighter

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will make his return since narrowly losing to Alex Pereira back in 2023. This will be the longest gap between fights for the Polish powerhouse, who will face the dangerous Kiwi Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night London this weekend.

While some are not giving the former champ many chances due to his age and lengthy inactivity, some are still seeing him reigning supreme. Former UFC fighter, Josh Thomson believes Blachowicz has the veteran mettle and championship experience to take the fight to deep waters and finish the relatively green Ulberg.

In an episode of his podcast WEIGHING IN with co-host, legendary MMA referee 'Big' John McCarthy, Thomson said:

"Bottom line is look, Jan [Blachowicz] to me is... People continuously overlook him. Look, they were like, 'Oh, [Magomed] Ankalaev's gonna walk right through him.' You could say that Blachowicz fought him [Ankalaev] better than Alex Pereira did. He had a better fight. Yeah, and so Jan can stop takedowns, he can get takedowns, he can control the top position, he can outbox him on the feet."

Thomson added:

"He just got to do it after Carlos' starting to get tired. I also look at Ulberg and I think to myself, 'Are you the same fighter when you're a little bit more tired?' Like I know what Jan is in rounds three, four, and five. He'll slow down but he's also very smart about what he does. He's got a very high fight IQ."

Check out Josh Thomson talk about Jan Blachowicz below (44:22):

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Josh Thomson credits KSW for Jan Blachowicz's high fight IQ when he fought Alex Pereira

On Jan Blachowicz's fight IQ that made him highly effective in the latter rounds against Alex Pereira, Thomson credits the fighter's time at Polish MMA organization Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, better known as KSW (translation: Martial Arts Confrontation). Considered the premier MMA organization in Poland, KSW housed many fighters over the years before they made a splash in the UFC. This includes former champ Alexander Gustafsson and current UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis.

Blachowicz fought in KSW from 2010 and 2013, compiling a record of 6-1 in the promotion. He debuted in the UFC shortly after.

On Blachowicz's stint at KSW, Thomson said:

"Some of that [high fight IQ] may come from the KSW days because look, those guys over there are just straight f*cking killers. That organization is, I mean, I'm surprised someone hasn't died over there. Those guys are brutal. There are beasts in that organization. They don't get enough credit for what they do over there. Oh we've seen a lot of really good fighters come out of KSW." [45:05]

Considering the way he nearly beat the feared Pereira with his sheer skill and fight IQ, there's a huge chance that Blachowicz will bring the same veteran experience against Ulberg this weekend.