Career Averages - Diego Sanchez
Career Averages - Michel Pereira
Diego Sanchez - Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Matthews | 0 | 25 of 81 | 30% | 38 of 95 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Diego Sanchez | 1 | 72 of 148 | 48% | 93 of 174 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 4:52 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jake Matthews | 0 | 11 of 35 | 31% | 11 of 35 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 22 of 46 | 47% | 24 of 51 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0:29 | |
| 2 | Jake Matthews | 0 | 12 of 40 | 30% | 12 of 40 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 23 of 53 | 43% | 23 of 53 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Jake Matthews | 0 | 2 of 6 | 33% | 15 of 20 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Diego Sanchez | 1 | 27 of 49 | 55% | 46 of 70 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:23 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Matthews | 25 of 81 | 30% | 12 of 57 | 4 of 12 | 9 of 12 | 23 of 77 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 |
| Diego Sanchez | 72 of 148 | 48% | 69 of 145 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 42 of 97 | 1 of 1 | 29 of 50 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jake Matthews | 11 of 35 | 31% | 4 of 20 | 4 of 10 | 3 of 5 | 11 of 35 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 22 of 46 | 47% | 19 of 43 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 16 of 38 | 1 of 1 | 5 of 7 | |
| 2 | Jake Matthews | 12 of 40 | 30% | 6 of 32 | 0 of 1 | 6 of 7 | 12 of 40 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 23 of 53 | 43% | 23 of 53 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 23 of 53 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Jake Matthews | 2 of 6 | 33% | 2 of 5 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 |
| Diego Sanchez | 27 of 49 | 55% | 27 of 49 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 24 of 43 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogRound 1
Sanchez (30-12, 19-12 UFC) is back and this time with an additional cornerman (Stephan Bonnar) beyond self-awareness coach Josh Fabia, and he will be facing a tough test in the form of “The Celtic Kid” Matthews (16-4, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. The third man inside the octagon is referee Jason Herzog, and the two 170-pounders have absolutely no interest in touching gloves before the action begins. Sanchez races forward with a body kick, and he eats a right hand and rolls around to try to get out of harm’s way. Sanchez gets back to his feet after Matthews grabbed hold of it, and he just barely ducks an overhand right that zips past his head. Sanchez evades another heavy shot and whiffs with a return fire leg kick. Matthews sneaks in a right hand when Sanchez closes the distance, and nearly turns Sanchez into a Pez dispenser with an uppercut. Sanchez goes to the body and swats at the head, but Matthews rolls with it. Sanchez starts waving his hands around in a stance more likely seen in “Cobra Kai” than the UFC, and Matthews fires a kick at his head. The Aussie walks forward to land a body shot and avoids the Sanchez counterattack. Matthews snaps Sanchez’ head back with a right hand, and ducks out of the way when Sanchez swings at him with open hands. “Nightmare” leaps forward with a right hand, and Matthews avoids it while landing one of his own to sting the TUF 1 winner. Sanchez comes up short with a counter, although he does land a leg kick. Sanchez surprises the Aussie with a right hand, and Matthews backs away to reset. Sanchez stalks him down and rushes forward hands down with a barrage of punches, but Matthews is able to jog out of the way. Matthews scores a one-two and evades the swarming attack of Sanchez, but “Nightmare” keeps at it with looping punches. Sanchez lands a slapping body kick and changes levels for a takedown. Matthews defends it and decides to take Sanchez down, where he hops on top to get off some ground-and-pound. When Matthews sits up, Sanchez hunts for a heel hook. Matthews punches his way out with a few fierce right hands that hurt Sanchez, and the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Round 2
Sanchez comes out with his nose already bleeding, and Matthews plants a right hand on that nose. Sanchez swarms in with several wild punches, and Matthews is able to avoid them in time. Sanchez tries this flurry once more, and Matthews snaps out a jab to keep him at bay. Sanchez lets fly a heavy leg kick, but “The Celtic Kid” walks through it. Sanchez explodes forward with winging, slopping punches that do not reach his opponent, and Matthews walks him down to the cage before scoring a quick uppercut. Sanchez circles around and switches stances a few times to shake it out, but Matthews stays composed and scores a right hand followed by a one-two. Sanchez takes a right hand so he can land a body kick, but Matthews redoubles his effort with another right hand that makes Sanchez back off. When the original TUF winner comes forward, again Matthews is ready for him with that right hand. Sanchez races forward and just misses with an overhand right, and Matthews accurately targets the nose again. Matthews gets up another uppercut, and clips Sanchez at the end of a left hand. Sanchez grins and starts throwing bombs like the days of old, but Matthews is able to avoid the brunt of the damage. An open-handed slap skims over Matthews’ head, and Matthews returns fire with a closed fist that makes Sanchez retreat. “Nightmare” shakes off the cobwebs only to get tagged again a few times, and Matthews is able to dart out of the way after landing to avoid the Sanchez blitz. Sanchez lands a calf kick and blocks an uppercut that is aimed at his face, and he ducks down to attack but gets cracked on the way in. The horn concludes this second frame.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Round 3
Sanchez starts the third round with his hands behind his waist leaning against the cage, and after a few seconds of standing there, he runs forward with an attack similar to Jorge Masvidal against Ben Askren. The Aussie is wise to it and the knee misses by a wide margin, but he is unable to make Sanchez pay for it. Matthews cracks Sanchez with a one-two and sets him down hard, where he hammers down several punches to slash Sanchez’ right eyebrow open. The blood has positively erupted from Sanchez’ eyebrow, and a growing pool of blood is forming beneath his head fast. Matthews pays it no mind and lands some more ground-and-pound. Sanchez locks him down in guard, and he tries to kick his hips to hunt for submissions and stave off any further strikes. Sanchez grabs hold of the neck for a guillotine choke off his back, but it is nothing doing as Matthews stays patient and pops his head out. Sanchez kicks Matthews off of him and Matthews lords over him while trying to find a way back in to do some more damage. “The Celtic Kid” finds his angle and crashes down into the guard, while Sanchez twists and turns for any sort of Hail Mary submission, but none is to be had. Matthews gets off a few more heavy right hands as the blood continues to flow for Sanchez, and Sanchez throws his legs up for a triangle choke. Matthews stops it by smashing him in the face with several punches, but the crafty vet hunts for an armbar. Sanchez has it tight briefly, but the slipperiness allows Matthews to pull his arm and then head free from the submission danger. Sanchez looks away for several seconds to his corner as he decides to lock Matthews down. Matthews does not accept that, and postures up to get off several more punches. He lets loose one final salvo to wrap up this fight with style points, although Matthews was unable to get the finish he so desired.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Matthews (30-26 Matthews)
The Official Result
Jake Matthews def. Diego Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Big Brady confidently picks Matthews, citing Sanchez's decline and poor recent performances. He believes Matthews is better everywhere at this point and expects a finish, as Sanchez's durability is fading. He notes the line is wide and likely to get wider.
Daniel Levi picks Jake Matthews, citing his power and youth compared to a diminished Diego Sanchez. He worries about Matthews gassing in the third round as he has in past fights, but believes the firepower difference is too great. He expects a knockout or unanimous decision.
The host confidently picks Jake Matthews, citing his youth, athleticism, and grinding style. He believes Diego Sanchez's body is declining and that Matthews will dominate with grappling. He predicts a second or third-round TKO after wearing Sanchez down.
The MMA Guru picks Jake Matthews, calling him a guaranteed win. He notes Matthews has a great chin, recovery, and grappling, and has fought tough opponents. He expects Matthews to hurt Sanchez badly and predicts a first-round KO. He mentions the odds are high but justified because Matthews is a lock.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 25 of 64 | 39% | 29 of 68 | 0 of 6 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:10 |
| Michel Pereira | 1 | 53 of 91 | 58% | 56 of 94 | 2 of 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:50 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 10 of 22 | 45% | 11 of 23 | 0 of 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 16 of 27 | 59% | 16 of 27 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:09 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 13 of 27 | 48% | 14 of 28 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:10 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 19 of 37 | 51% | 19 of 37 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:13 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 2 of 15 | 13% | 4 of 17 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Michel Pereira | 1 | 18 of 27 | 66% | 21 of 30 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:28 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 25 of 64 | 39% | 6 of 34 | 10 of 17 | 9 of 13 | 23 of 61 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 |
| Michel Pereira | 53 of 91 | 58% | 20 of 52 | 28 of 33 | 5 of 6 | 39 of 75 | 10 of 11 | 4 of 5 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 10 of 22 | 45% | 2 of 11 | 3 of 5 | 5 of 6 | 10 of 21 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 16 of 27 | 59% | 3 of 11 | 11 of 14 | 2 of 2 | 12 of 22 | 4 of 5 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 13 of 27 | 48% | 3 of 9 | 7 of 12 | 3 of 6 | 12 of 26 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 19 of 37 | 51% | 8 of 24 | 8 of 10 | 3 of 3 | 18 of 36 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 2 of 15 | 13% | 1 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 |
| Michel Pereira | 18 of 27 | 66% | 9 of 17 | 9 of 9 | 0 of 1 | 9 of 17 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogRound 1
Our co-main event virtually guarantees action as the original winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Sanchez (29-12, 18-12 UFC) comes to blows with the high-flying, wild and crazy Pereira (23-10, 2 NC; 1-1 UFC). As Pereira’s song comes on the speakers, he stops and dances for a minute or two. The crowd is not into it, and they start booing him. Not to be outdone, Sanchez calmly walks out to the cage, and struts around like a peacock when he reaches the Octagon. Hold on tight, just like referee Jason Herzog, as the fight is about to pop off. Sanchez starts off the fight as one would expect in this kind of contest, with a somersault kick. It partially lands, and Pereira laughs it off. They end up against the fence, and Sanchez escapes. Sanchez holds his hands out straight in front of him, and Pereira throws a few front kicks before faking that he will run off the walls. Sanchez wings two punches that are well short of the mark, and takes a punch to the body. Pereira throws another powerful front kick, and Sanchez is running back and forth as he narrowly avoids a Showtime kick. Pereira leaps in with a knee, and Sanchez drops down to take his ankle out from beneath him. Sanchez backs off, and throws a low kick. Pereira again snaps the front kick up the middle, so Sanchez tries to fire back with a body kick but he misses. Sanchez has his back against the fence the entire time, and takes a punch and then a kick to the midsection. Sanchez lands a left hand but misses with the right hook that follows, as Pereira darts out of the way. The Brazilian sneaks up a front kick through the guard of “The Nightmare,” and ducks a spinning back fist from Sanchez. The two come together and swing, but neither land as Sanchez stumbles against the cage wall. Sanchez shoots in low for a takedown to get Pereira to bite on a defending, and he lands a low kick. Pereira misses with a spinning wheel kick, and Sanchez runs forward to engage but backs off before he reaches his opponent. Pereira lands a few punches and a stern knee up the middle. As Sanchez circles away he nearly absorbs a head kick, and then misses wide with another somersault kick. Sanchez sprints at his opponent with punches, but does not connect as the round concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Round 2
Pereira opens the round with a body kick and then another front kick, while Sanchez ducks low to pursue a takedown. The Brazilian shoves him away and evades the strikes that come from Sanchez. Sanchez aims to the body with a few punches, and then a leg kick, before taking a right hand on the jaw. Pereira lands two punches, and hops out of the way when Sanchez fires a head kick at him. Pereira narrowly misses with a knee and then a spinning kick, and Sanchez goes back to holding his palm outstretched. Pereira times a flying knee as Sanchez wades forward, and Sanchez eats it without issue. Pereira attempts a capoeira kick, leading to Sanchez sprinting forward to land strikes. Sanchez lunges forward with several more punches, and the Brazilian is easily able to back away. Pereira lands a heavy body kick, causing “The Nightmare” to bend over and grimace for a moment. Sanchez clinches up and goes after a takedown, but he cannot hit it as Pereira circles away and lands a flying knee on the chest. Pereira blocks a body kick after he throws a kick behind his other leg, and blasts Sanchez in the face with a right hand that forces Sanchez to stumble backwards. Sanchez bites down on his mouthpiece and throws back at him, landing a left hand as Pereira drops his hands down to his waist. Pereira circles around and backs off before landing a superman punch by jumping off the cage. Pereira scores another front kick to the body, and dings Sanchez with a flying knee before backing off. Pereira rips the body with a hard right hand, and evades the body kick soaring at him. The 10-second clapper spurs Sanchez to throw a spinning back kick, but Pereira dodges it and suplex Sanchez to end the round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Round 3
Pereira stands before his opponent to start the round, as he looks down at the cage floor instead of his opponent. He taunts Sanchez, as he avoids his charging adversary. Another front kick from Pereira scores, and Sanchez has no counter to them. Two punches land successfully for the Brazilian, and Sanchez whiffs with a spinning back fist as he gets taken down. Pereira flips in the air to land some kind of a stomp, and the legality of that technique is questionable. Sanchez gets up, takes a knee to the chest and falls over, and Pereira chases after him with some ferocious ground-and-pound. Sanchez springs free, and gets up to charge at his opponent like a bull. Playing the matador, Pereira shoves him away against the fence, and does so a second time to make Sanchez look like Ronda Rousey against Holly Holm. Sanchez wings shots but they are not landing, while overextending himself as Pereira works him to the body. Sanchez is stalking “Demolidor” down, but Pereira throws several crushing knees that make Sanchez fall over.
As Sanchez falls to his knees, Pereira cracks him in the head with an illegal knee. Herzog rushes in to stop the action for a moment, and the knee busted Sanchez’ head wide open. Blood is pouring out of Sanchez’ forehead, and the doctor is trying to figure out what to do. Herzog allows Sanchez to recover, and deducts one point from Pereira, but Sanchez claims that he cannot see. Sanchez asks Herzog what the result would be given on the stoppage, and upon learning it would be a disqualification, Sanchez says he cannot continue.
Unbelievable. As it was an illegal knee that caused the stoppage, Pereira will indeed be disqualified. This is the first event in UFC history where multiple fights have ended by DQ. Truly a bizarre end to a totally bizarre fight.
The Official Result
Diego Sanchez def. Michel Pereira R3 3:09 via Disqualification (Illegal Knee)
Daniel Levi picks Michel Pereira to win by first-round knockout. He believes Diego Sanchez is a deranged man with a deteriorating chin and questionable training situation, while Pereira is more focused after his first UFC loss. He thinks Pereira's power and striking will be too much for Sanchez, who ducks his head and hasn't evolved.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chiesa | 0 | 7 of 11 | 63% | 23 of 31 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2:24 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 47 of 67 | 70% | 98 of 132 | 5 of 6 | 83% | 0 | 1 | 11:45 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Chiesa | 0 | 4 of 5 | 80% | 7 of 11 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 1:28 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 11 of 17 | 64% | 24 of 39 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 1 | 3:16 | |
| 2 | Michael Chiesa | 0 | 2 of 5 | 40% | 3 of 6 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:35 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 31 of 44 | 70% | 59 of 75 | 2 of 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 4:13 | |
| 3 | Michael Chiesa | 0 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 13 of 14 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:21 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 5 of 6 | 83% | 15 of 18 | 2 of 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 4:16 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chiesa | 7 of 11 | 63% | 1 of 4 | 0 of 1 | 6 of 6 | 1 of 3 | 2 of 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Diego Sanchez | 47 of 67 | 70% | 46 of 66 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 7 | 5 of 8 | 38 of 52 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Chiesa | 4 of 5 | 80% | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Diego Sanchez | 11 of 17 | 64% | 10 of 16 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 6 | 8 of 11 | |
| 2 | Michael Chiesa | 2 of 5 | 40% | 0 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 31 of 44 | 70% | 31 of 44 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 2 | 27 of 37 | |
| 3 | Michael Chiesa | 1 of 1 | 100% | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 5 of 6 | 83% | 5 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 4 |
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 56 of 87 | 64% | 61 of 92 | 4 of 4 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 6:00 |
| Mickey Gall | 0 | 23 of 65 | 35% | 35 of 80 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:19 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 15 of 31 | 48% | 19 of 35 | 3 of 3 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:08 |
| Mickey Gall | 0 | 16 of 43 | 37% | 28 of 58 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:16 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 41 of 56 | 73% | 42 of 57 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 2:52 |
| Mickey Gall | 0 | 7 of 22 | 31% | 7 of 22 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:03 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 56 of 87 | 64% | 37 of 63 | 13 of 18 | 6 of 6 | 7 of 28 | 10 of 11 | 39 of 48 |
| Mickey Gall | 23 of 65 | 35% | 19 of 59 | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | 8 of 44 | 9 of 14 | 6 of 7 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 15 of 31 | 48% | 5 of 18 | 5 of 8 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 18 | 8 of 9 | 4 of 4 |
| Mickey Gall | 16 of 43 | 37% | 12 of 37 | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | 4 of 25 | 9 of 14 | 3 of 4 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 41 of 56 | 73% | 32 of 45 | 8 of 10 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 10 | 2 of 2 | 35 of 44 |
| Mickey Gall | 7 of 22 | 31% | 7 of 22 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 19 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 3 |
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 46 of 77 | 59% | 82 of 124 | 3 of 4 | 75% | 0 | 0 | 14:22 |
| Craig White | 1 | 18 of 42 | 42% | 64 of 94 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:08 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 13 of 26 | 50% | 29 of 48 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 4:54 |
| Craig White | 0 | 8 of 9 | 88% | 15 of 18 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 12 of 19 | 63% | 18 of 28 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 4:43 |
| Craig White | 0 | 7 of 14 | 50% | 30 of 40 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:05 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 21 of 32 | 65% | 35 of 48 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 4:45 |
| Craig White | 1 | 3 of 19 | 15% | 19 of 36 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:03 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 46 of 77 | 59% | 34 of 65 | 12 of 12 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 8 | 1 of 1 | 42 of 68 |
| Craig White | 18 of 42 | 42% | 16 of 39 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 8 of 17 | 1 of 1 | 9 of 24 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 13 of 26 | 50% | 9 of 22 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 12 of 22 |
| Craig White | 8 of 9 | 88% | 6 of 7 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 5 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 12 of 19 | 63% | 9 of 16 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 12 of 19 |
| Craig White | 7 of 14 | 50% | 7 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 7 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 6 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 21 of 32 | 65% | 16 of 27 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 18 of 27 |
| Craig White | 3 of 19 | 15% | 3 of 18 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 13 |
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Brown | 1 | 18 of 34 | 52% | 20 of 36 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:01 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 12 of 20 | 60% | 13 of 21 | 0 of 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:29 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Brown | 1 | 18 of 34 | 52% | 20 of 36 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:01 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 12 of 20 | 60% | 13 of 21 | 0 of 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:29 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Brown | 18 of 34 | 52% | 14 of 30 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 12 of 28 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 12 of 20 | 60% | 7 of 12 | 2 of 5 | 3 of 3 | 10 of 18 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Brown | 18 of 34 | 52% | 14 of 30 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 12 of 28 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 |
| Diego Sanchez | 12 of 20 | 60% | 7 of 12 | 2 of 5 | 3 of 3 | 10 of 18 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Iaquinta | 2 | 12 of 19 | 63% | 12 of 19 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:05 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 4 of 15 | 26% | 4 of 15 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Iaquinta | 2 | 12 of 19 | 63% | 12 of 19 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:05 |
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 4 of 15 | 26% | 4 of 15 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Iaquinta | 12 of 19 | 63% | 9 of 15 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 8 of 15 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Diego Sanchez | 4 of 15 | 26% | 2 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 14 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Iaquinta | 12 of 19 | 63% | 9 of 15 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 8 of 15 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Diego Sanchez | 4 of 15 | 26% | 2 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 14 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 0 | 46 of 81 | 56% | 69 of 108 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 9:17 |
| Marcin Held | 0 | 30 of 82 | 36% | 57 of 112 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0:17 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 17 of 44 | 38% | 19 of 46 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:31 |
| Marcin Held | 0 | 23 of 64 | 35% | 32 of 73 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:17 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 8 of 10 | 80% | 20 of 23 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:36 |
| Marcin Held | 0 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 11 of 13 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 0 | 21 of 27 | 77% | 30 of 39 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:10 |
| Marcin Held | 0 | 5 of 14 | 35% | 14 of 26 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Sanchez | 46 of 81 | 56% | 31 of 62 | 12 of 16 | 3 of 3 | 21 of 52 | 0 of 0 | 25 of 29 |
| Marcin Held | 30 of 82 | 36% | 30 of 80 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 23 of 70 | 3 of 4 | 4 of 8 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Sanchez | 17 of 44 | 38% | 11 of 34 | 5 of 9 | 1 of 1 | 17 of 44 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Marcin Held | 23 of 64 | 35% | 23 of 63 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 20 of 61 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Diego Sanchez | 8 of 10 | 80% | 5 of 7 | 2 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 7 of 8 |
| Marcin Held | 2 of 4 | 50% | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 | |
| 3 | Diego Sanchez | 21 of 27 | 77% | 15 of 21 | 5 of 5 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 18 of 21 |
| Marcin Held | 5 of 14 | 35% | 5 of 13 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 7 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 6 |
Michel Pereira - Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Reese | 0 | 74 of 148 | 50% | 81 of 160 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 1 | 0 | 0:47 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 63 of 132 | 47% | 70 of 139 | 2 of 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:48 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zachary Reese | 0 | 23 of 51 | 45% | 26 of 56 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 18 of 40 | 45% | 25 of 47 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:42 | |
| 2 | Zachary Reese | 0 | 24 of 44 | 54% | 28 of 49 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:44 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 22 of 42 | 52% | 22 of 42 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:03 | |
| 3 | Zachary Reese | 0 | 27 of 53 | 50% | 27 of 55 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0:03 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 23 of 50 | 46% | 23 of 50 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:03 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Reese | 74 of 148 | 50% | 24 of 90 | 30 of 38 | 20 of 20 | 72 of 142 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 63 of 132 | 47% | 29 of 75 | 31 of 53 | 3 of 4 | 53 of 119 | 9 of 11 | 1 of 2 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zachary Reese | 23 of 51 | 45% | 4 of 29 | 8 of 11 | 11 of 11 | 23 of 50 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 18 of 40 | 45% | 8 of 21 | 10 of 19 | 0 of 0 | 15 of 35 | 2 of 4 | 1 of 1 | |
| 2 | Zachary Reese | 24 of 44 | 54% | 9 of 25 | 11 of 15 | 4 of 4 | 23 of 41 | 1 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 22 of 42 | 52% | 12 of 25 | 9 of 16 | 1 of 1 | 16 of 35 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 1 | |
| 3 | Zachary Reese | 27 of 53 | 50% | 11 of 36 | 11 of 12 | 5 of 5 | 26 of 51 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 23 of 50 | 46% | 9 of 29 | 12 of 18 | 2 of 3 | 22 of 49 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogRound 1
Herb Dean is the referee. Pereira lands a hard body kick to begin the main card. Pereira counters a kick with a glancing overhand, but Reese seems to be OK. Pereira jabs the body. Pereira counters another kick with a right hand and Reese goes down. Pereira welcomes Reese back to his feet. Reese lands a body kick. Pereira with a front kick down the middle. Pereira jabs the body. Reese moves in and lands a knee to the body. Reese attempts an inside leg kick, but Herb Dean calls time because it apparently landed low. The crowd isn’t buying it but Pereira takes about a minute. Pereira tries for that same overhand counter following a Reese kick but it’s not as successful as it was earlier. Reese moves in and lands a combination to the body. Reese kicks the body, and Pereira grimaces, as it landed below the belt again. A replay review determines that it was indeed a foul, despite the protests of the fans. Reese lands a kick and they engage in the clinch, with both men swinging wildly during a brief exchange. An errant spinning attack by Reese results in a takedown for Pereira. Reese stands, but Pereira grabs the neck and lands a couple knees on the break. Pereira stabs the body with a front kick. Reese leaps in wildly, but Pereira can’t capitalize. Reese makes his foe stumble with a low kick before the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Round 2
Reese targets the body with kicks. They clinch, and Pereira lands a pair of hard knees to the gut. They clinch and Pereira lands another knee before pushing Reese to the wire. They separate in short order. Pereira lands a right followed by a knee. Reese had his fingers extended during an exchange, and he poked Pereira in the eye. This results in the third timeout of the fight due to a foul by Reese. No point is taken and the action resumes. Reese quickly lands a takedown in the center of the cage. Reese peppers the Brazilian with left hands from half guard. Reese maintains a body lock as Pereira stands. Reese is busted open. Reese lands a body kick. A counter left freezes Pereira where he stands. Pereira throws a right to the body. Reese moves in and Pereira land a leaping knee. They crash forward, with both men landing in an exchange. Reese is holding his hands low as he lands a right. Pereira jabs the body while avoiding a high kick. Another body kick for Reese. Reese lands a two-punch combination. Reese throws a front kick to the body and Pereira urges him on. Reese just misses with a flying knee. Pereira responds with a rolling somersault kick at the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Reese
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Reese
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Reese
Round 3
Reese opens with a body kick. Pereira throws a push kick to the body. Reese lands a leg kick and is warned to keep his hands closed. Reese attacks the body with another kick. They collide in the clinch and separate. Reese closes distance and lands a knee. Pereira connects with a straight right. A lead leg head kick lands for Reese, as these two keep trading one-off attacks. Reese with a two-punch solid combination. Pereira sticks a jab. Reese kicks the body. Pereira lands a counter right. Reese lands a right uppercut to the body followed by a left hand over the top. Pereira closes the distance and Reese nearly had a choke locked. Periera was a ble to scramble up. That sets the stage for another exchange. Both men land heavy shots initially, but they’re mostly swinging and missing in the waning seconds, save for a Pereira knee down the middle.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Reese (29-28 Reese)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Reese (29-28 Reese)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Reese (29-28 Reese)
The Official Result
Michel Pereira def. Zachary Reese via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) R3 5:00
Angelo picks Michel Pereira despite recent poor form, citing his superior athleticism, speed, wrestling, and training partners. He acknowledges Pereira's mental state is a question mark after a public divorce, but believes the version from 2024 would dominate. He goes with his brain over his gut.
Big Brady picks Zachary Reese to defeat Michel Pereira, but with clear disgust and hesitation. He believes Pereira is washed, citing his terrible performances against Abus Magomedov and a 40-second knockout loss to Kyle Daukaus. He calls the fight 'disgusting' and hopes it gets canceled. He notes Reese is the underdog but feels he has more faith in Reese at this point. He predicts a first-round knockout, reasoning that if Daukaus could KO Pereira, Reese can too.
Cody thinks Pereira's desperation and flashy style will lead to an early finish. He notes Reese's durability issues and poor cardio. He expects Pereira to win by KO or submission in the first round.
Connor picks Pereira despite acknowledging he looks shot. He notes that Pereira has better technique and experience, and that Reese has never beaten a good fighter. He points out that Pereira's creativity and speed could still be enough against a limited opponent like Reese, but admits it's a terrible fight and Pereira could lose if he's truly broken.
The host heavily leans towards Pereira, citing his superior striking, cardio, and ground game compared to Reese. However, he cannot bet Pereira at -155 because of the red flag from Pereira's passive performance against Abus Magomedov, which may indicate decline. He notes that if Pereira shows up and fights to his potential, he wins easily, but the inconsistency makes him unbettable.
James picks Michel Pereira to win by first-round finish, but with hesitation due to Pereira's recent poor performances and questionable chin. He notes that Pereira has far better tools and competition wins, but if he doesn't get an early finish, Reese could take over. James prefers the under 1.5 rounds as a betting angle.
Pereira is on a three-fight losing streak but has faced tough competition and should be motivated to save his roster spot. He is the better fighter on paper with more experience. Reese is dangerous but has durability questions. If Pereira comes back at 80% of his former self, he should find a finish. The under 1.5 rounds is also a good play as both are finishers.
Paul agrees, citing Pereira's ability to finish fights early and Reese's tendency to get knocked out. He thinks Pereira's wrestling is underrated and that he can win on the ground if needed. He expects a first-round finish.
The MMA Guru hesitantly picks Michel Pereira, trusting his ability despite a recent loss to Hernandez. He notes Pereira's cardio issues but thinks he can find Reese's chin. He is unsure due to Pereira's inconsistency but believes Reese's fundamental ability is lacking.
Zane picks Reese as a counter to Connor, arguing that Pereira's confidence is shattered after the Hernandez loss and he has looked terrible in his last two fights. He notes that Reese is dangerous early and that Pereira's recent performances suggest he no longer knows how to fight. He admits it's a terrible fight and that Reese could easily lose, but he's willing to take the chance.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Daukaus | 0 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Michel Pereira | 1 | 5 of 8 | 62% | 7 of 12 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:07 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Daukaus | 0 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Michel Pereira | 1 | 5 of 8 | 62% | 7 of 12 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:07 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Daukaus | 2 of 4 | 50% | 0 of 1 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 5 of 8 | 62% | 5 of 8 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 7 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Daukaus | 2 of 4 | 50% | 0 of 1 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Michel Pereira | 5 of 8 | 62% | 5 of 8 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 7 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogRound 1
The younger Daukaus brother returns to the UFC after a mixed first run in the Octagon followed a second middleweight title win in
Cage Fury Fighting Championships
after his release. Tasked with getting Daukaus’ second stint off to a bad start will be noted Brazilian madman Pereira. The referee on duty is Marc Goddard. Daukaus is southpaw, Pereira orthodox. Daukaus stalks forward and Pereira gives ground. Pereira nails Daukaus with a huge body kick, but he wears it well.
Seconds later, Daukaus clips the onrushing “Demolidor” with a short right hook to the jaw that drops him to his butt. Pereira tries to rally, but Daukaus pounces with a couple of glancing fists, then three jackhammer elbows that spur Goddard into action for the save.
Sensational knockout and a triumphant return for “The D’Arce Knight,” and for those keeping track at home, that makes two sub-minute finishes in the first four fights at UFC Shanghai. Yes, please.
The Official Result
Kyle Daukaus def. Michel Pereira R1 0:43 via KO (Punches and Elbows)
Angelo is very confident in Michel Pereira, calling him an absolute beast with insane athleticism, real power, and solid wrestling and BJJ. He notes that Pereira is a better hammer than nail and that his recent loss was uncharacteristic, partly due to personal life issues. He dismisses Kyle Daukaus as not good at the UFC level despite regional wins, and expects Pereira to beat the brakes off him. He even says if Pereira doesn't win, cut them both.
Big Brady picks Michel Pereira to win by first-round knockout, despite Pereira's recent poor performance against Abus Magomedov. He believes the matchup is favorable for Pereira because Daukaus is hittable and fragile, and Pereira has the striking advantage. He notes that Daukaus will struggle to take Pereira down and that Pereira should finish early with a body shot or flying knee.
Connor also picks Pereira, but with reservations. He notes that Pereira has looked terrible recently and that Daukaus could win by making the fight ugly and clinging to clinches. However, he believes Pereira's athleticism and ability to land elbows in the clinch should carry him. He also points out that Daukaus is not a strong wrestler and tends to gas.
The host acknowledges it's tough to trust Pereira after his last gunshy performance, but thinks he has a good opponent here to show off his power. He notes that Daukaus has crumbled under power before and expects Pereira to find a knockout.
The MMA Guru picks Michel Pereira to win, expecting an easy first-round finish. He believes Pereira is on another level compared to Kyle Daukaus, who is decent but lacks standout ability in any area. He notes that Pereira is much better at striking and moves well, which should carry him past Daukaus. However, he acknowledges that if the fight goes later, Daukaus could find success in the clinch.
Zane picks Michel Pereira, noting that Pereira can 'cheat his way to victory by being an athlete.' He acknowledges that Pereira has looked shot recently and that Daukaus could make it ugly with clinch work, but believes Pereira's athleticism and striking should be enough to win. He also notes that Daukaus is not a good wrestler and tends to self-destruct.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 73 of 168 | 43% | 74 of 169 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:24 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 0 | 78 of 134 | 58% | 83 of 140 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1:01 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 7 of 20 | 35% | 7 of 20 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 0 | 18 of 31 | 58% | 23 of 37 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:52 | |
| 2 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 25 of 58 | 43% | 26 of 59 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:11 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 0 | 24 of 46 | 52% | 24 of 46 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:09 | |
| 3 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 41 of 90 | 45% | 41 of 90 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:13 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 0 | 36 of 57 | 63% | 36 of 57 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 73 of 168 | 43% | 27 of 90 | 27 of 50 | 19 of 28 | 72 of 166 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 78 of 134 | 58% | 53 of 99 | 19 of 29 | 6 of 6 | 72 of 128 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 7 of 20 | 35% | 0 of 4 | 4 of 9 | 3 of 7 | 7 of 20 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 18 of 31 | 58% | 10 of 23 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 3 | 13 of 26 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 3 | |
| 2 | Michel Pereira | 25 of 58 | 43% | 7 of 28 | 8 of 17 | 10 of 13 | 25 of 58 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 24 of 46 | 52% | 14 of 30 | 8 of 14 | 2 of 2 | 24 of 46 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Michel Pereira | 41 of 90 | 45% | 20 of 58 | 15 of 24 | 6 of 8 | 40 of 88 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Abusupiyan Magomedov | 36 of 57 | 63% | 29 of 46 | 6 of 10 | 1 of 1 | 35 of 56 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-155), Magomedov (+130)
Round 1
This next middleweight affair could shape up to be a wild one before the dust settles. While he has scaled back on some of the antics that cost him wins in the past, Pereira (31-12, 2 NC; 9-3 UFC) is still unafraid to hit a back flip mid-fight even if landing on opponent with stomping feet is illegal. Who needs rules in a sport like this. Russian-born German knockout artist Magomedov (27-6-1, 3-2 UFC) is the much more composed of the two, but is no less dangerous. Referee Nick Berens will need to be on high alert until the conclusion of the bout, one that kicks off with a glove touch. Magomedov stabs out with a long kick to start things off, and Berens warns both fighters for outstretched fingers…and they don’t listen. Magomedov pitches out a front kick that goes wide, and Pereira swipes at his foe’s midsection only to be out of range. Pereira does get in with a left hand, and he is out of range before a counter finds him. Pereira jabs the body with a kick and has his guard raised to block an overhand right, and Magomedov puts on heavy pressure while leading with his front kick. Magomedov kicks the side with the same foot, and he lunges in behind two right hands that brush the Brazilian’s beard. Magomedov nails Pereira with a left hand, who stumbles and needs a second to gather his thoughts. Magomedov is not giving him that second, instead blasting “Demolidor” with a head kick. Pereira takes it somehow and rebounds to jab the body, but his legs might not be fully beneath him yet. Pereira gets backed to the fence, and he ducks an overhand right but falls to his back when Magomedov easily takes him down. Magomedov unloads with left hands and an elbow, and Pereira explodes to his feet. Magomedov hangs on from behind like an angry seatbelt, smacking Pereira upside the head until he climbs on the back and wraps his hooks around the waist. Magomedov releases the grip when he cannot locate the body triangle, and Pereira recognizes this is his moment to move and he moves with a spinning back elbow. Magomedov ignores it and loads up with two overhand rights, unconcerned about anything aimed his direction. Pereira stays on his bike, avoiding exchanges when he can while not committing to much on his own side. He gets off one front kick, and Magomedov strikes back with a right hand and a head kick to end the tepid round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 2
The middleweights bump fists to get going again, and Pereira does land first this time in the form of a low kick. He gets right back on his bike, entirely uncharacteristic for him as he typically presents far more aggressively. Pereira pulls back when thinking about throwing punches, and he is stuck in first gear while Magomedov can do anything. Magomedov jabs the body with his foot—it is not that Magomedov is putting a beating on Pereira, but he is nullifying the Brazilian to a surprising degree. Magomedov eats a knee coming in when shooting for a takedown, and Pereira tosses him aside and strikes with a single front kick. Magomedov gets back to chasing Pereira around, wrapping a right hand around the guard and ignoring a jab to the body coming his way. Pereira’s two punches land harmlessly on the chin, and he barely manages to avoid a booming uppercut and ties Magomedov up in a clinch. When Magomedov is going to use it against him, Pereira releases his grip and backs away. Pereira uses alternating front kicks to stay away, mixing in a few jabs. The crowd is not overly amused by the lack of engagement from the two, with Magomedov winning but not blowing him out of the water. The pace is slow and non-threatening, with Pereira fighting like someone afraid to run out of gas. Unfortunately for him, fighting while backing away is tiring as well. Pereira jabs a few times, and when he gets pushed back with a front kick, he meets Magomedov with the same strike. Pereira sticks out punches, and his front kick lands on the body. Even with volume now on his side, power is minimal and the lack of effective offense disappoints those in attendance and watching live. The less-than-stellar round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 3
The two men hug to start the last round, and the crowd showers them in boos. They answer the call with a simultaneous punch, and Magomedov recovers first and goes to the head and body with a few more punches. Pereira picks things up a little, swinging harder and actually putting some mustard in his fists. Pereira rips a left to the body, and Magomedov kicks his front leg in response. Pereira goes to the body again, and the long jab from Magomedov connects cleanly. Pereira tosses out a high kick that lightly bumps into the shoulder, and his left hooks are out of range. The fans, so frustrated with the match thus far, start taking out their phones and light up their screens while waving them around. Little changes inside the Octagon when they do this, other than a hard right hand and a knee to the body from Pereira. Magomedov drops down for a level change, and Pereira times a knee on the chin that is questionably legal as to whether a knee was down. It is ultimately immaterial, and the chanting made famous from Atlanta Braves fans and coopted by the Kansas City Chiefs faithful serenades everyone listening. Magomedov is irritated by the body work that Pereira has done this round, and he wings a pair of right hands that shake Pereira up. Pereira takes time to recover, and Magomedov allows him to do this as he appears to not have enough in the tank to do more. When Pereira jams a knee to his midsection, Magomedov suddenly looks totally out of steam. Magomedov’s kicks and punches are labored, with Pereira’s much heavier. Magomedov shoots from afar for a takedown with a minute to go, and Pereira pulls him back to his feet so he can score a knee. The Russian nails Pereira with a left hook, and Pereira wobbles but does not go down. Magomedov smacks Pereira upside the head with clean left hands, and Pereira is knocked around but throws back. With seconds to go, Pereira ramps things up, but it is far too late for anything to come from it. The huge bummer of a 15-minute slog is now in the books, and it is time to move on to the next fight.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
The Official Result
Abusupiyan Magomedov def. Michel Pereira via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Angelo picks Michel Pereira, believing his athleticism and power will overwhelm Abusupiyan Magomedov. He notes that Abus is hittable and Pereira hits hard, and that Pereira should replicate Bruno Ferreira's success but without letting up. He is more confident now than in his initial breakdown, though he cautions about Pereira's cardio.
Big Brady picks Michel Pereira, dismissing his loss to Anthony Hernandez as irrelevant since Hernandez would do the same to Magomedov. He criticizes Magomedov's poor cardio and durability, noting he slows down after the first round. He expects Pereira to win by knockout, possibly in the second round.
Connor picks Pereira because he is a much more evolved and athletic fighter compared to Magomedov, who has a limited game based on a one-two and top control. Pereira has shown growth and patience, and his speed and power will be too much for Magomedov's robotic striking. Connor notes that Magomedov's wins have aged poorly and he has been exposed by any decent fighter.
The host likes Pereira's explosivity, athleticism, and power to shut down Magomedov's grappling, and expects Pereira to force a break and get a second or third round TKO.
The MMA Guru picks Abusupiyan Magomedov as an underdog. He criticizes Pereira's cardio and lack of MMA training, saying he gasses if he doesn't finish early. He notes Magomedov's improvements in grappling and cardio, and his reach advantage. He expects Magomedov to weather Pereira's early storm and win a decision, possibly chopping up Pereira's leg.
Zane picks Pereira, emphasizing that Magomedov's game is one-dimensional and relies on size and pressure. Once a fighter is good enough to test him, Magomedov falls apart. Pereira has the speed and skill to counter Magomedov's takedowns and striking. Zane also notes that Magomedov's losses have aged well but his wins have not, and he is essentially a 'quadruple A' fighter.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 152 of 212 | 71% | 219 of 293 | 10 of 29 | 34% | 0 | 0 | 15:42 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 24 of 53 | 45% | 29 of 62 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0:56 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 27 of 52 | 51% | 30 of 55 | 1 of 8 | 12% | 0 | 0 | 1:25 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 15 of 34 | 44% | 17 of 36 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:19 | |
| 2 | Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 30 of 47 | 63% | 47 of 68 | 2 of 6 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 3:18 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 2 of 7 | 28% | 2 of 7 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 1 | 0:35 | |
| 3 | Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 44 of 55 | 80% | 64 of 77 | 2 of 6 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 4:17 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 3 of 8 | 37% | 4 of 9 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 4 | Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 29 of 35 | 82% | 48 of 62 | 3 of 6 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 4:35 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 3 of 3 | 100% | 5 of 9 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:02 | |
| 5 | Anthony Hernandez | 0 | 22 of 23 | 95% | 30 of 31 | 2 of 3 | 66% | 0 | 0 | 2:07 |
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Hernandez | 152 of 212 | 71% | 125 of 182 | 22 of 24 | 5 of 6 | 43 of 81 | 12 of 14 | 97 of 117 |
| Michel Pereira | 24 of 53 | 45% | 8 of 27 | 16 of 26 | 0 of 0 | 20 of 45 | 4 of 8 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Hernandez | 27 of 52 | 51% | 20 of 42 | 5 of 7 | 2 of 3 | 17 of 40 | 4 of 5 | 6 of 7 |
| Michel Pereira | 15 of 34 | 44% | 7 of 19 | 8 of 15 | 0 of 0 | 12 of 28 | 3 of 6 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Anthony Hernandez | 30 of 47 | 63% | 25 of 42 | 4 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 9 of 15 | 0 of 1 | 21 of 31 |
| Michel Pereira | 2 of 7 | 28% | 0 of 4 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 7 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Anthony Hernandez | 44 of 55 | 80% | 31 of 42 | 11 of 11 | 2 of 2 | 8 of 15 | 4 of 4 | 32 of 36 |
| Michel Pereira | 3 of 8 | 37% | 1 of 4 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 | |
| 4 | Anthony Hernandez | 29 of 35 | 82% | 28 of 34 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 5 of 6 | 3 of 3 | 21 of 26 |
| Michel Pereira | 3 of 3 | 100% | 0 of 0 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 5 | Anthony Hernandez | 22 of 23 | 95% | 21 of 22 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 5 | 1 of 1 | 17 of 17 |
| Michel Pereira | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Hernandez (-135), Pereira (+114)
Round 1
Much like last week, the UFC put on an event with an alright lineup on paper and what looks like an absolute thriller in the main attraction. At UFC Fight Night 244, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira threw down in a “Fight of the Year” candidate, and the promotion is trotting out another matchup that could deliver bonkers action before it is said and done. Streaking middleweights go at it for five rounds to push to the next echelon of the weight class, and oddsmakers do not expect this one will go the distance. Winner of five straight with four stoppages, Hernandez (12-2, 1 NC; 6-2 UFC) keeps passing tests with flying colors, while high-flying Brazilian Pereira (31-11, 2 NC; 9-2 UFC) is a buzzsaw destroying anyone he meets at the new weight class. Referee Herb Dean draws the charge for the main attraction, and he brings the two together to touch gloves and seal the cage. It’s on with the show. Hernandez advances but is quickly met by a swarming Pereira, who swats at him with two jabs and a left hand. Hernandez slips out of the way, and when walking forward again, he is stabbed in the body with a powerful front kick that appears to hurt him. Pereira marches forward to continue working the body, and Hernandez grimaces and leans against the cage. Pereira tries to finish the job with a torrid salvo of strikes, and Hernandez toughs it out, bounces off the cage and wings a right hand to keep his man honest. Pereira backs off, kicks him in the ribs, and retreats. Hernandez marches the Brazilian down, slugging him to set up a takedown attempt. Hernandez reaches his foe with a right hand, and one of pieces of ear tape falls off. Hernandez spins with a wheel kick that glances off the guard, and his pressure makes Pereira retreat. Pereira gets pushed against the wall, turns about and comes out swinging. Hernandez has a spinning back kick land flush in close range, and he punches his way into a single-leg entry. Hernandez falls to his back as he tries to complete the takedown, and he stands back up before Pereira can make him pay for the attempt. Pereira checks a kick and digs a left to the liver, and he defends a shot with an effective sprawl and avoids a looping right. Pereira sets up a Thai clinch to knee his man repeatedly, and Hernandez punches his way out of it and backs Pereira up once more. Hernandez leans on Pereira against the fencing, and he surprises “Demolidor” with a spinning back elbow. Hernandez uses the close range to rip Pereira off his feet with a body lock and a trip, landing on top in a modified half guard. Hernandez sits and stands to land a bit of ground-and-pound, with the horn breaking them up.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Round 2
A fist bump leads to Hernandez jabbing and shooting in on the hips for a takedown. Pereira defends against it to break out of the attempt, and he pushes off and grazes Pereira’s eye with a swipe of his finger. Dean sternly warns Hernandez for the foul, and Pereira takes 30 seconds before he is ready to return. Hernandez reintroduces himself with a spinning back kick to the leg, and he punches high to shoot in low. Pereira sprawls successfully, getting pushed to the wall and turning his man about to escape. Pereira prepares for the takedown that will inevitably come by snatching hold of a guillotine choke as Hernandez shoots. Pereira uses the submission to briefly assume mount, and Hernandez worms his way out to claim top position. Hernandez opens up with ground-and-pound, smacking Pereira with his free left hand. “Fluffy” shuts down Pereira’s bucks and movements to get out, and he takes advantage of a moment to take Pereira’s back and set up an arm-triangle choke. The Brazilian wildly turns through the submission and fights back to his feet. Hernandez chases after him, grabbing hold of Pereira with a double and dumping him to the mat. Hernandez controls Pereira, imposing his weight on him while Pereira stands. When Pereira does get back up, Hernandez puts a hole on his morale by hitting a double. Pereira defends from a submission, sitting up to absorb punches, and Hernandez tries another guillotine. Pereira protects his neck once more, and Hernandez stands up and knees him in the chest. Hernandez follows a rolling, grounded Pereira with big right hands, and he opens up with elbows. The horn sounds while Hernandez is laying into him, and he helps Pereira up to his feet.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Round 3
There is a touch of gloves to get going, with Pereira on full defense mode thanks to his corner telling him to take the round off to recover. Hernandez leads off with a takedown shot, and he drags Pereira down from his side. The Brazilian bursts back to his feet, and Hernandez clips him with short but effective punches until Pereira circles away. Hernandez shoots and is stuffed, leading to Hernandez going deep on the hips with a double. When that fails, he pursues a body lock, and Pereira pushes him away and wants to set up a Thai clinch to knee Hernandez in the face. Hernandez uses that clinch to jam Pereira up instead, and he hits a double and climbs into half guard. Pereira is quick to turn to his side in an effort to escape, but Hernandez easily thwarts that and pounds on the Brazilian. Hernandez grinds with elbows, and he steps over to the side and right into mount. Pereira times the push off the hips to stop Hernandez from getting dominant position for long, so Hernandez drops down a hearty elbow on his jaw. Hernandez attacks an arm-triangle choke, and he allows Pereira to turn to his side so he can further lock it down. Pereira grits out the choke and is punched in the back of the head, and Hernandez adjusts his trajectory while Pereira returns to a knee. Hernandez elbows his man in the side repeatedly to further take wind out of his sails, kneeing the other side as Pereira is stuck clinging to Hernandez’ left wrist. Hernandez paints Pereira’s face with his fists until the horn sounds, and Pereira has somehow reached the championship rounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Hernandez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Hernandez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-8 Hernandez
Round 4
The tired fighters clap hands to get going, and Hernandez wastes little time to shoot in for a takedown. Pereira remains upright, with Hernandez pushing him to the wire but not able to ground him. Pereira breaks free and times an uppercut, and he kicks the body and eats a right hand. Hernandez hits a takedown even with a knee landing on his jaw, and he begins to smother the Brazilian some more. Pereira leans to his side to not be flattened out in either way, and Hernandez measures him with elbows while smacking him with free right hands. Pereira turns over to his knees to stand back to his feet, and he celebrates a moral victory by stopping a subsequent trip attempt. Hernandez gingerly sets him down, and he uses his body weight to shove Pereira to his seat. Hernandez opens up with elbow after elbow, and he chains several punches together to force Pereira to turn over and put his head on the mat. Hernandez holds on from the side, finding one serious undercut before Pereira gets to a knee. Even totally wiped out, Pereira manages to get back to his feet once more. Hernandez pursues a double and plants Pereira flat on his back, taking to half guard and framing off to drill the Brazilian with hammerfists. Hernandez’ blows begin to get louder and heavier, and Dean watches on closely but is not ready to intervene just yet. Dean asks Pereira to fight back, and Pereira somehow wills himself back to his feet miraculously. Hernandez spins with an elbow, and Pereira is barely able to stand up but is throwing hands. Pereira shoots for a single, and Hernandez easily lowers him to the mat. The round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Hernandez
Round 5
The middleweights hug it out as they have gotten through 20 minutes of combat, and Hernandez wants nothing more than to drag the fight to his world. Pereira survives the first attempt, and hits his hands and knees on the second. Pereira wrenches his way upright despite a record number of takedown attempts at middleweight put on him. Hernandez goes for one more and digs deep to scoop Pereira off his feet and dump on him on his backside. Hernandez moves to half guard rather than side control so he can establish more control, and he sharpens his elbow and slashes it down like a horror movie villain to spilt Pereira’s eyebrow wide open. Blood is soon to flow, and he turns over to halt the bludgeoning. Dean calls for Pereira to fight back, and Hernandez seizes his moment, knowing that he does not need much more to get a stoppage. “Fluffy” lets his man have it with a final salvo of elbows, finishing the job and further extending his impressive win streak. Dean waves them off, and Pereira appears to still want to continue fighting as he doggedly clings to Hernandez’ leg until Dean lets him know the fight is over. This performance will likely hurl the Californian to new heights, and he admits he does not know the roster well enough to know a proper name to call out. Instead, he asks the UFC brass to give him a title eliminator, believing he needs one more win to get a crack at gold. There will be a wealth of options at his disposal, and most names in the top 10 are fresh matchups for him. When he takes on his next challenge, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.
The Official Result
Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira R5 2:22 via TKO (Elbows)
Angelo picks Michel Pereira as an underdog, having bet on him at +135. He believes Pereira's athleticism, power, and grappling are too much for Anthony Hernandez, whose only path to victory is grappling. He thinks Pereira is the more dynamic and dangerous fighter, and that Hernandez cannot out-strike him. He notes Pereira's recent success at middleweight and dismisses cardio concerns, saying Pereira has shown he can maintain pace. He is confident Pereira wins.
Big Brady picks Anthony Hernandez by third-round submission. He sees it as Pereira early, Hernandez late. Pereira has three quick wins but gasses; Hernandez has great cardio and grappling. If Hernandez survives the first five to seven minutes, he will take over, take Pereira down, and finish him in the third round. He mentions a good live bet spot.
Connor picks Hernandez, comparing his style to a larger, more skilled Tristan Connelly who will make Pereira pay for every bad decision. He notes that Hernandez's pace and pressure grappling are exactly the kind of game that troubled Pereira in the past. However, he acknowledges that Hernandez might get knocked out early, as he has been hurt in many of his recent wins.
Lucrative James believes Fluffy Hernandez will overwhelm Sean Strickland with constant forward pressure, takedown attempts, and volume. He notes that Strickland struggles when opponents don't let him establish his jab and one-two rhythm. James predicts Hernandez will win a decision by outworking Strickland over five rounds.
Pereira will be dangerous in the opening five minutes, but Hernandez has done a great job wearing opponents down, keeping them in the clinch, taking them down, and utilizing submission attempts. Hernandez will wear Pereira down and get a finish in the third or fourth round.
The Guru picks Pereira despite acknowledging Hernandez's grappling skills. He believes Pereira's athleticism, power, and body work will be too much, predicting an early finish by TKO or submission. He notes Pereira has finished all his middleweight opponents quickly and envisions Pereira stuffing a takedown, landing knees to the body, and getting a guillotine or rear-naked choke.
Zane picks Pereira because of his insane speed at middleweight, which he believes Hernandez will not be ready for. He acknowledges that if Hernandez survives the early onslaught, he will likely take over with pressure and grappling, but Zane trusts Pereira's athleticism to get the job done early. He notes that Pereira has learned to pace himself after the Tristan Connelly loss, but still has that loss in him.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 6 of 10 | 60% | 6 of 10 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:09 |
| Ihor Potieria | 0 | 2 of 3 | 66% | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 6 of 10 | 60% | 6 of 10 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:09 |
| Ihor Potieria | 0 | 2 of 3 | 66% | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 6 of 10 | 60% | 4 of 7 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 4 |
| Ihor Potieria | 2 of 3 | 66% | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 6 of 10 | 60% | 4 of 7 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 4 |
| Ihor Potieria | 2 of 3 | 66% | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-535), Potieria (+400)
Round 1
Keeping the action pushing, surging wild man Pereira (30-11, 2 NC; 8-2 UFC) is ready to push his win streak to eight at the expense of struggling Ukrainian Potieria (20-5, 2-3 UFC). Since moving to middleweight, Pereira has appeared to have leveled up, while Potieria also shows that changing gears to 185 pounds did him some good. Referee Fernando Portella will see who makes it out of this encounter, and before it begins, the fighters sternly bump fists together. Pereira hops from side to side, his hands not particularly high, and he ignores a low kick coming his way to jab the body and follow it with a straight punch to the same target. Potieria retaliates with a slapping leg kick, and Pereira leaps at him with a straight right hand that knocks Potieria off his feet. The maniac Brazilian back flips and lands with his knee on Potieria, which is an illegal blow as Potieria is grounded. Nevertheless, Portella stands back, marveling at the move pulled off before his eyes. Pereira decides to latch onto a guillotine choke, and he allows Potieria to stand up and wrench the neck on the way up. Pereira squeezes with all his might, and “The Duelist” frantically taps out. As Pereira releases the grip, Potieria falls to his back, completely unconscious. Before Portella can reach him, Potieria’s head clatters lifelessly off the canvas. Pereira solemnly walks away, until he sees that Potieria has regained consciousness, and he starts dancing to celebrate. Meanwhile, commission officials speak to UFC brass about the foul, determining whether or not it impacted the result and if Pereira should be penalized for it. Given the nature of the strike, a disqualification is not off the table--although Portella did not call the foul during the action, so that may be unlikely--and a post-fight review might also find another result.
The Official Result
Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria R1 0:54 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Angelo is confident in Pereira, citing his speed, power, creativity, and grappling. He notes Potieria is a technical striker but hittable and with poor takedown defense. He expects Pereira to win by finish.
Big Brady is high on Pereira's middleweight resurgence, noting his two quick finishes. He views Potieria as a step down and believes Pereira will knock him out in the first round, possibly mid to late.
Cody picks Pereira, noting his improved fight IQ, cardio, and well-roundedness at middleweight. He believes Potieria is a one-dimensional knockout artist with poor durability and cardio. Cody expects Pereira to win, likely by knockout.
Daniel Vreeland leans with Pereira but considers it a dog-or-pass situation. He acknowledges Potieria's recent improvements, including better cardio and confidence, but believes Pereira's top-15 trajectory and finishing ability give him the edge. He suggests that Pereira's decision prop at +550 might be a better value than the moneyline, as Potieria could last the distance.
Daniel Vreeland agrees with Jeff Fox on Michel Pereira. He notes that Pereira has chilled out his wild style since gassing out against Tristan Connelly, and has been on a seven-fight winning streak. Vreeland thinks Pereira will win easily, though he doesn't elaborate on a specific method. He later mentions that Pereira's submission prop has moved from +650 to +370, indicating the books are aware of his submission threat.
Jeff Fox is very confident in Michel Pereira, calling him a 'demolisher' and noting his seven-fight winning streak since two losses. Fox explains that one loss was due to an illegal knee against Diego Sanchez, and the other was a short-notice grappling loss to Tristan Connelly. Since then, Pereira has been more measured and finished opponents like Andre Petroski. Fox believes Potieria is not UFC caliber, with wins only over aged fighters like Shogun. He expects Pereira to do whatever he wants, and later in the show he picks Pereira by submission for the Hungry Man parlay.
Pereira is on a crazy run, harnessing his big striking power over 15 minutes. His speed and power advantage will be enough to find Potieria's chin and put him out clean.
Paul picks Pereira, highlighting his 8-2 UFC record, athleticism, and evolution into a winning style. He dismisses Potieria's chances, citing his poor durability, cardio, and ground game. Paul sees Pereira as a rightful favorite.
The MMA Guru picks Michel Pereira, praising his skills at middleweight and noting that welterweights often make better middleweights. He highlights Pereira's wins over Andre Petroski and Maxime Gremont, and predicts a first-round rear-naked choke. He criticizes Potieria's record and recent performances, including a loss to Shogun Rua.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 11 of 15 | 73% | 11 of 15 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:18 |
| Michał Oleksiejczuk | 0 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 11 of 15 | 73% | 11 of 15 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:18 |
| Michał Oleksiejczuk | 0 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 11 of 15 | 73% | 5 of 9 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 9 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Michał Oleksiejczuk | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 11 of 15 | 73% | 5 of 9 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 9 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Michał Oleksiejczuk | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-148), Oleksiejczuk (+124)
Round 1
A casual observer might look at this battle of Michel vs. Michal and not immediately know which one competed at light heavyweight recently. By the size of Pereira (29-11, 2 NC; 7-2 UFC), he does not look like the kind of person that made welterweight in 2022. On the other hand, Oleksiejczuk (19-6, 1 NC; 7-4, 1 NC UFC) appears well-suited for his newer, lighter weight class, and his knockout last year over Chidi Njokuani shines on his ledger. Pereira is psyched to compete in Miami, and he brings his cousin with him to do a synchronized, choreographed dance before walking out. This potentially wild 185-pound affair will be officiated by referee Dan Miragliotta, and there is a quick glove touch from the competitors to get it going. Pereira hops back and forth, changing stances, and he dodges a right hand and rips two kicks to the body. Oleksiejczuk goes over the top with a right hook, and Pereira backs off and skirts to the side. Pereira lands two speedy punches before springing to the side, and he drives a right hand on the solar plexus and hurts Oleksiejczuk. Oleksiejczuk backs off to the fence, bent over but trying to remain on his feet, and Pereira charges at him and knees him twice in the same spot to buckle the Polish fighter’s knees.
Oleksiejczuk slumps to the ground, and Pereira leaps around to take his back and grab hold of a rear-naked choke without even bothering to get a hook in. The Brazilian locks down the choke and his forearm slides beneath the chin, and he squeezes with all his might. Oleksiejczuk does not once consider tapping, and he fades into unconsciousness as the submission puts him all the way out.
Miragliotta pulls them apart when recognizing Oleksiejczuk is out cold, and Pereira rushes to the center of the cage and breakdances to celebrate. What a performance for Pereira, who has now won seven in a row and may soon be a contender at his new weight class of middleweight.
The Official Result
Michel Pereira def. Michal Oleksiejczuk R1 1:01 via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Angelo picks Michel Pereira, citing his better cardio, power, and grappling. He notes Oleksiejczuk has a great chin but can fade. He has a half-unit bet on Pereira at -130, but keeps it small because Oleksiejczuk could survive early and outpoint him.
Big Brady picks Michał Oleksiejczuk to win by decision. He notes that while Pereira has a BJJ black belt, he doesn't wrestle often and lacks the cardio to grapple for 15 minutes. He expects the fight to stay on the feet, where Oleksiejczuk's forward pressure, body work, and volume will wear down Pereira and win the later rounds.
Cody notes that Pereira has matured and now fights more conservatively, using his accuracy and wrestling. He thinks Oleksiejczuk is a reckless brawler with poor takedown defense, and Pereira will counter him and mix in takedowns to win a decision.
Oleksiejczuk has great durability and forward pressure, marching forward and breaking opponents with his boxing. He has eaten clean shots and continued to push. Pereira is dangerous early with his unorthodox power, but Oleksiejczuk's durability should allow him to weather the early storm. As the fight goes on, Oleksiejczuk will start to catch Pereira, coral him against the cage, and land combinations. I expect Oleksiejczuk to get a finish in the second or third round, possibly by knockout.
Paul agrees, highlighting Pereira's improved fight IQ and the fact that he looked great at 185. He thinks Oleksiejczuk's wrestling is exploitable and that Pereira has multiple ways to win.
The MMA Guru picks Michał Oleksiejczuk, citing concerns about Michel Pereira's finishing ability and cardio. He notes Pereira failed to finish chinny fighters like Andre Fialho and Nico Price, and that Oleksiejczuk is extremely tough and has power. He predicts Oleksiejczuk will pressure Pereira, take him down, and finish with a body shot TKO in round two.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 0 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Andre Petroski | 1 | 6 of 18 | 33% | 6 of 18 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:04 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 0 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Andre Petroski | 1 | 6 of 18 | 33% | 6 of 18 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:04 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Pereira | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Andre Petroski | 6 of 18 | 33% | 5 of 17 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 12 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Pereira | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Andre Petroski | 6 of 18 | 33% | 5 of 17 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 12 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pereira (-180), Petroski (+150)
Round 1
Action shifts to the middleweight division, where Pereira (28-11, 6-2 UFC) takes on Andrei Petroski (10-1, 5-0 UFC) in one of the more anticipated bouts on the card. Petroski fills in for Marc-Andre Barriault on short notice. Tognoni steps up to preside over the match. Petroski takes the center of the cage, with his Brazilian counterpart bouncing on the balls of his feet. Pereira using stance switches and feints to keep him guessing.
Pereira floors him with a thudding right hand and buries him with standing-to-ground punches. Petroski never intelligently defended himself once the barrage started
.
The Official Result
Michel Pereira def. Andre Petroski—TKO (Punches) 1:06 R1
Angelo is confident in Michel Pereira due to Petroski stepping up on short notice with questionable cardio. He notes Pereira is taller, has decent cardio, and is the busier fighter. He thinks Petroski's cardio issues will be exacerbated by the short notice, and Pereira should win.
Big Brady picks Andre Petroski to win by third-round TKO. He notes Pereira has only fought strikers and lost to grappler Tristan Connelly, while Petroski is a big middleweight with strong grappling. He expects both to tire, but Petroski's cardio holds up and he gets a late finish.
Cody picks Pereira, emphasizing his excellent takedown defense and the fact that Petroski relies heavily on takedowns. He notes that Petroski gasses out and that judges are now scoring damage and volume over control time. Cody believes Pereira's striking and cardio advantage will carry him, and that Petroski's path to victory is narrow.
The host picks Michel Pereira but is queasy about the minus 220 price due to Petroski's early grappling danger. He expects violence and a late stoppage, specifically a third-round knockout by Pereira. He suggests the under as a better bet if the price is right.
Paul picks Pereira, citing his takedown defense (92% in UFC) and improved fight IQ. He notes that Pereira has stopped doing reckless moves and is fighting more fundamentally. Paul believes Pereira's cardio will be better at 185 lbs and that he can stuff Petroski's takedowns and out-strike him. He acknowledges the price (-200) is steep but thinks Pereira wins.
The MMA Guru picks Michel Pereira to win by TKO over Andre Petroski. He argues that welterweights moving up to middleweight are technically better, citing examples. He criticizes Petroski's last performance against Gerald Meerschaert, saying he looked terrible and took heavy damage. He notes Petroski is fighting on short notice (8 weeks after a war) and doesn't trust his cardio. He believes Pereira has a massive striking advantage and explosive hips to get back up if taken down.
Expert Picks (1)
Daniel Levi picks Michel Pereira to win by first-round knockout. He believes Diego Sanchez is a deranged man with a deteriorating chin and questionable training situation, while Pereira is more focused after his first UFC loss. He thinks Pereira's power and striking will be too much for Sanchez, who ducks his head and hasn't evolved.
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