Michel Pereira made a statement in his middleweight debut on Saturday when he steamrolled Andre Petroski at UFC Fight Night 230.
After weight-cutting issues forced him up from welterweight, Pereira (28-11 MMA, 7-2 UFC) showed what he’s capable of at maximum efficiency when he landed a massive right hand that dropped Petroski (10-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) before swarming for the TKO stoppage just 66 seconds into the bout at the UFC Apex.
Check out the replay of Pereira’s finish below (via X):
THE RIGHT HAND FROM MICHEL PEREIRA 💥 #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/EYHusMONeI
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 14, 2023
After the fight, Pereira said he plans to remain at 185 pounds, and he wants to make a quick return to the octagon.
“Five canceled fights, I’ve had so much adversity,” Pereira told Michael Bisping through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “I think I need to stay at middleweight. … I need one more fight. One weeks. Two weeks.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 230 results include:
- Michel Pereira def. Andre Petroski via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:06
- Christian Rodriguez def. Cameron Saaiman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Darren Elkins def. TJ Brown via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:23
- Tainara Lisboa def. Ravena Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Terrance McKinney def. Brendon Marotte via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:20
- Melissa Dixon def. Irina Alekseeva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Chris Gutierrez def. Heili Alateng via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Emily Ducote def. Ashley Yoder via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.
