Michel Pereira believes he deserves a spot in the UFC middleweight rankings after making his debut in the division.
On October 14, Pereira officially moved up to the 185-pound division with a main card fight at UFC Vegas 81. The electric striker was initially scheduled to fight Marc-Andre Barriault before the latter pulled out, leading to Andre Petroski stepping in on short notice.
It didn’t take long for the Brazilian to put the division on notice. He came out and blasted Petroski with a right hand, leading to a first-round TKO win in 66 seconds.
Following his impressive win, Pereira addressed the media with a post-fight press conference, which was transcribed by MMA Junkie. During the interview, ‘Demolidor’ had this to say about how everything played out against Petroski:
“I knew I was going to knock him out, but I thought it would be in the second round. But everything went perfect. I’m very happy for that…I felt like he was planning to take me down, and I was still studying him, but I felt the chance and I connected the punch and knocked him out. We didn’t have time enough to be surprised or anything like that.” – Quote transcribed by MMA Junkie
Watch the fight-ending sequence for Michel Pereira’s win against Andre Petroski below:
THE RIGHT HAND FROM MICHEL PEREIRA 💥 #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/EYHusMONeI
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 14, 2023
Michel Pereira believes he deserves a spot in the middleweight rankings
Michel Pereira didn’t take any damage at UFC Vegas 81, so it’s not impossible for him to fight again before the end of 2023. During his post-fight press conference, Pereira had this to say about being open to what the UFC wants next for him:
“I would like to come back as soon as possible. I don’t have anybody in mind since it’s my new division. I didn’t have time enough to think about that. But I’m here to work. As soon as the UFC needs me, I’m going to work.” – Quote transcribed by MMA Junkie
Pereira may only have one win at middleweight, but he’s developed a reputation as an elite fighter during his time at welterweight.
Therefore, the Brazilian is likely closer to a ranking spot than most divisional newcomers. He had this to say about the situation during the previously-mentioned post-fight press conference:
“In my opinion, I do believe I deserve (to be ranked at middleweight). But since it’s my first fight, I don’t know. I don’t make the decisions. If I need one more fight in order to be part of the rankings, I’m going to fight. It’s all good.” – Quote transcribed by MMA Junkie
Michel Pereira initially gained a reputation for being an unpredictable striker with freakish athleticism. Since then, he’s evolved into a well-rounded fighter who could be a legitimate future title contender at 185 pounds.
To do so, he must continue racking up wins in the shark-infested middleweight division.
Watch Michel Pereira’s entire UFC Vegas 81 post-fight press conference below:
