Now or never! In a slump, Michel Pereira fights for 'survival' at UFC Houston.

Michael Pereira celebrates victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

One of the MMA fighters with the biggest fan base in Brazil, Michael Pereira He has only one mission at UFC Houston: win or win. This Saturday (21), the athlete, who is experiencing the worst phase of his career, faces Zachary Reese, in a dangerous fight valid for the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg). Furthermore, in the event of another defeat, the situation of the 'Flying Paraense' in the world's largest MMA organization becomes untenable.

Michel's predicament stems from a long string of poor results and bad performances. Ironically, after finishing his successful run in the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg) and moving up in weight, the Brazilian impressed in the octagon, racking up three consecutive wins. However, now he has three consecutive losses.

The first one occurred for anthony hernandez, who headlines UFC Houston against Sean StricklandAt the time, Michel struggled under the pressure, with Fluffy's takedown game and volume of strikes, and ended up being knocked out in the fifth round. After dominating, the Brazilian was controlled by... Abusupiyan Magomedov without threatening him. But the worst was yet to come. In his most recent appearance in the octagon, the athlete was knocked out by Kyle Daukaus, who accepted the duel at the last minute, in China, in 43 seconds.

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Therefore, Michel is under pressure and needs to turn things around in the octagon to stay in the UFC. However, the task is not simple. While the Brazilian has lost three fights in a row, Reese has been performing well and has a positive streak of two wins and one 'no contest' (no result). Interestingly, the fighters know each other and have a good relationship, as they train at the traditional 'Xtreme Couture' gym. Despite the good relationship, the expectation is that the pair will not hold back in action.

A veteran of MMA, Michel is a versatile professional, dangerous both in striking and grappling. Reese, on the other hand, is a threat in stand-up fighting because of his power. Precisely because of all this, the clash between these middleweights should be exciting and tense, with a good chance of a knockout or submission. According to... StakeMichel, the official sponsor of the UFC in Brazil, even though he's in a bad spell, is the favorite to win the fight.

Stake Brasil, official sponsor of the UFC.

A Stake is the official sponsor of the UFC in Brazil, in addition to names such as Alex Poatán, Alexandre pantoja e Israel adesanyaThe betting platform is fully licensed in Brazil and offers complete security for you to place your bets. Click here To complete your registration.

PRELIMINARY CARD (19pm Brasília time)

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Chidi Njōkuani x Carlos Leal

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Ode' Osbourne x Alibi Idiris

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Alden Coria x Luis Gurule

Bantam weight (up to 61,2 kg): Nora Cornolle x Joselyne Edwards

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Ramiz Brahimaj x Punahele Soriano

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Philip Rowe Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Jordan Leavitt x Yadier del Valle

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Juliana Miller x Carli Judice