Middleweights will collide in the UFC Vegas 99, as Michel Pereira takes on Anthony Hernandez on October 19.
The pair were originally set at UFC 306 but the bout has now been rescheduled and will now serve as the main event for the Fight Night at the Apex.
The ever-exciting Brazilian, Pereira, enters the UFC octagon for the 12th time and in the best form he has been in since signing with the promotion back in 2019. When he first signed with the UFC, as exciting as he was, Pereira was not getting the results he desired, going 2-2 in his first four. Since then, ‘Demolidor’ has went unbeaten in eight with wins against the likes of Khaos Williams, Michał Oleksiejczuk and Ihor Potieria and the run landing him in the top 15 at 185lbs. After a run of decision wins, Pereira has stopped his last three opponents in the opening round, having only spent 3:01 inside the octagon across all three.
Hernandez signed with the promotion on the 2018 season of Dana White’s Contender Series and has struggled to make regular walks to the cage, since. Much like Pereira, ‘Fluffy’ had a rough start to life in the UFC going 2-2 in his opening four bouts under the UFC banner but has since found solid form and established himself as one of the top athletes at Middleweight. The 30-year-old has competed four times since 2022, picking up wins against Josh Friend, Marc-Andre Barriault, Edmen Shahbazyan and Roman Kopylov.
Both men have had a plethora of bouts cancelled over the years and will be keen to end the year with a big win and take another step closer to the top 10 of the division.
Elsewhere on the card, Matheus Nicolau will look to pick up his first win since 2022 when he faces the extremely in form Asu Almabayev in a Flyweight bout. Rob Font returns to the fold for the first time in 2024 to take on Kyler Phillips whilst Robelis Despaigne looks to bounce back from his first loss as professional when he squares off against Austen Lane.
