Countdown of the week's best UFC & PFL fights: #2

Val Dewar

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Countdown of the week's best UFC & PFL fights: #2 image

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2. Michel Pereira vs Alexander 'Fluffy' Hernandez

The UFC Vegas 99 main event is a deceptively great middleweight fight despite the fighters not being ranked at the top of the division.

Michel Pereira was once a wildman who prioritized flash over substance. However, he has tightened things up and is now on an eight-fight win streak, including finishes in his last three and a 'Fight of the Night' bonus for his win over Santiago Ponzinibbio before that.

Opposite him will be grappling ace 'Fluffy' Hernandez. Fluffy was unknown before submitting former ADCC champion Rodolfo Vieira. That was only Alex's tenth professional fight.

Taking out a black belt called 'The Black Belt Hunter' has a certain poetic irony to it, and Hernandez has taken that high-profile upset win and ran with it. Since then, he secured three more consecutive wins to earn his first UFC main event opportunity. I know that he plans to make the most of it.

With his exciting grappling style, high pace, and ability to finish with a variety of submissions, Fluffy is one of the most dangerous style matchups for Michel in the division.

Pereira is explosive and strong with his get-ups but has had takedown defense issues in the past.

Hernandez has also shown himself to be a poor defensive striker, and susceptible to being hurt to the body, but if he can push a pace and drag Pereira into the late rounds, he may find a finish.

The odds are tight, and this fight could go either way; I expect big momentum swings to occur, barring an early finish. As binary style matchups go in this division, this is almost as good as it gets.

Val Dewar

Val Dewar Photo

Val was initiated into Steelers Nation from the moment he was born — his first memory is a game vs. New England from when "Slash" was QB — and doing sports writing has always been a dream career for him. In 2022 he broke into the industry by writing about combat sports for Cageside Press, and now has the opportunity to continue that work with TSN as an MMA writer, as well as get his feet wet on the Steelers beat.