Michel Pereira admits he didn't expect André Fialho's good first round at UFC 270: 'He surprised me'

M. Pereira defeated A. Fialho in the UFC 270 Photo: Instagram/@UFCBrasil

after winning André Fialho in a complicated duel in the UFC 270, the brazilian Michael Pereira admitted that he was surprised by his opponent from last Saturday (22). In a press conference after the show, the 'Paraense Voador' revealed that his initial strategy was to 'feel the fight' little by little and that he did not expect his rival to start with such momentum.

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“In the first round, I was just testing him and he surprised me. I was really surprised. The idea was to just evaluate things and that really stuck with me. I trained a lot and that transformed me for the second round. But he really surprised me in the first round,” Michel said.

The 'Paraense Voador' said that his team's instructions during the break from the first to the second round were essential for regaining control of the fight.

“I always tell my people to tell me the truth. At the end of the first round they told me: 'You lost the round. You lost'. The thing is, after the second round, all I needed to do was impose my pace and do what I was willing to do”, concluded the welterweight.

With four consecutive victories, Michel can dream of a place in the top-15 of the category. The team's last defeat was in February 2020, against Diego Sanchez. The Brazilian athlete has a record of 27 triumphs and 11 setbacks.