LAS VEGAS – Although he’s fighting in the main event, Michel Pereira doesn’t think he’ll need the full 25 minutes to get his hand raised at UFC Fight Night 245.
Pereira (31-11 MMA, 9-2 UFC), a rising middleweight contender, takes on Anthony Hernandez in the main event of Saturday’s UFC event at the UFC Apex. This is an interesting bout, as Pereira has been stopping his opposition and Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) hasn’t been finished in four years. Pereira is confident he can end Hernandez’s run.
“I got very prepared, I’m very ready for this to go five rounds, but I do not think this fight is going to go five rounds,” Pereira told reporters through an interpreter at the UFC Fight Night 245 media day on Wednesday. “Let’s wait and see what happens, but I do not believe this fight is going five rounds.”
In most betting houses, Hernandez enters UFC Fight Night 245 as a slight favorite. Pereira, who’s riding an eight-fight winning streak, is more than fine with being the underdog in this contest and thinks “Fluffy” has done enough to deserve to be favored ahead of their bout.
“I don’t pay attention to that because I do think he’s coming off four or five straight wins in the division, so I understand why people would say that,” Pereira said. “It’s the merit to his credit, much respect to him. I’m accomplishing that, and I’m making my own accomplishments right now. That’s what I’m going to get to in this division as well.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michel Pereira unbothered by underdog status ahead of UFC Fight Night 245, predicts finish of Anthony Hernandez
