'Paraense Voador' expects a big fight against Diego Sanchez this Saturday

M. Pereira in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook @ufc

Known for the irreverent way of carrying out his fights, Michael Pereira, the 'Paraense Voador', is back in the octagon this Saturday (15), when he faces the veteran Diego Sanchez at UFC Rio Rancho. Against a renowned athlete within the company, the Brazilian hopes to achieve a good victory to recover from the defeat suffered in his last commitment. In an interview with 'Combate', the athlete spoke about his expectations for the fight.

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“For me, it will be an honor to fight with a guy like Diego Sanchez. I grew up watching him fight. He's a big name in the UFC. I'm very happy to fight him, especially in the co-main event. I knew that the UFC would soon put me up against the top guys, because I always tried to fight against the best in the category”, said the Brazilian.

Pereira also commented on the feeling of being chosen to face a big name in the organization. For the Brazilian, his style is compatible with Diego's, which could provide a big victory for his record.

“When I found out I was going to fight him, I was very happy because my game matches his game a lot. I don't see him winning in any area. I was very happy because I'm well trained, I'll be able to put on my show and I'll be able to kill his game”, he said.

In his last performance, Pereira was heavily criticized by sports fans and part of the specialized press. In a valid fight for UFC Vancouver, the Brazilian faced an opponent chosen at the last minute (Tristan connelly) and ended up defeated in a unanimous decision by the judges. The setback was enough to raise doubts about Pereira's ability within Ultimate.

“I always knew that when I lost they would criticize me. It is the same case as Anderson Silva. He was the man for years, and after his first defeat, everyone kicked their ass. So that's how it is. Everyone has their opinion. I corrected all the mistakes I made in my last fight so I could emerge champion and put on the show the public wants to see. I was very well trained, very well focused. But the person who was supposed to go with me to the fight couldn't get the visa, so I had to take off the weight alone. And for those who are athletes, they know how difficult it is to lose weight alone in a sauna without anyone to help. And it was this weight issue that made me tired in the second round. Now I corrected everything, so there wouldn’t be any problems and nothing would go wrong”, concluded the athlete.

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