MIAMI – Michel Pereira danced his way to the cage, then plowed through opponent Michal Oleksiejczuk for a quick win at UFC 299.
The middleweight bout on the prelims at Kaseya Center lasted only 61 seconds as Pereira (30-11 MMA, 8-2 UFC) put Oleksiejczuk (19-7 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) unconscious with a rear-naked choke.
The submission attempt followed a body punch that visibly hurt Oleksiejczuk, who clutched his midsection and retreated back to the fence. Pereira drilled Oleksiejczuk with knees to the body and clinched. As Oleksiejczuk turned away, Pereira grabbed a choke and dragged the fight to the canvas. Oleksiejczuk was rendered helpless and referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the fight.
Pereira’s biggest highlight may not have even been the finish, however. During his walkout, Pereira and his trainer choreographed a wild dance routine that got the crowd buzzing.
Do ya dance @UFCPereira do ya dance 🕺
Michel Pereira bringing the vibes to #UFC299 early! pic.twitter.com/b5BGFRIgem
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
Now riding a seven-fight winning streak, Brazil’s Pereira called for a spot on the May 4 UFC 301 card in Rio.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 299 results include:
- Michel Pereira def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:01
- Robelis Despaigne def. Josh Parisian via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:18
- Asu Almabaev def. CJ Vergara via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Joanne Wood def. Maryna Moroz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.
