After 2 fights against Adesanya at Middleweight, Pereira now takes on Blachowicz who handed the Nigerian his 1st UFC loss.
Alex Pereira of Brazil will face the division's former champion in his debut light heavyweight fight.
Promotion president Dana White stated that Pereira's divisional debut will take place in the UFC 291 co-main event against former UFC middleweight champion Jan Blachowicz.
In Salt Lake City's Vivint Arena, the event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 29.
Pereira targets bragging rights against Adesanya with a win against Blachowicz
![Adesanya reclaimed the UFC Middleweight title against Pereira](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/10042023/c01e02c3-5447-49a7-b299-13db1e558a0b.jpeg?operations=fit(480:))
After losing the championship to mixed martial artist Israel Adesanya of Nigeria and New Zealand, Pereira is going up a weight class.
At UFC 287, The Last Style Bender won via knockout, and Pereira's loss to Adesanya on April 8 was the first time in their previous four combat sports contests that the Brazilian had suffered a defeat.
In the days that followed, Pereira and White both said light heavyweight was probably going to be the next, and now he has a date, place, and opponent.
Prior to his loss to Adesanya, Pereira had not lost in the UFC following his transition from kickboxing.
![Blachowicz was the first to beat Adesanya; now Pereira has a chance to get bragging rights against his rival.](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/17052023/5004c297-945f-4f54-992b-1d8935afa2ae.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
He had won his previous three fights over Andreas Michailidis, Bruno Silva, and Sean Strickland. Pereira then faced Adesanya for the first time, which he defeated by fifth-round TKO at UFC 281 in November.
The 40-year-old Blachowicz hasn't fought since December's UFC 282, when he drew with Magomed Ankalaev in a contest for the vacant light heavyweight championship.
When they fought in the UFC at light-heavyweight, Blachowicz was the first to beat Adesanya; now Pereira has a chance to get bragging rights against his rival.
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