Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira are among the most impressive fighters bubbling under the UFC's official middleweight top 10. One of them will stay on course toward the middleweight elite at the expense of the other at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.
Hernandez (12-2, 1 NC) is a surprise success story. Markus Perez and Kevin Holland finished the "Dana White's Contender Series" graduate early in his UFC run. Hernandez opened eyes against decorated jiu-jitsu star Rodolfo Vieira. Hernandez fatigued Vieira and shockingly submitted the renowned grappler. Hernandez now rides a five-fight winning streak with four stoppages, most recently beating elite striker Roman Kopylov. He next turns his attention to another respected striker.
"I started as a kickboxer. I have a lot of amateur kickboxing fights. I have a lot of Muay Thai fights. I even have an amateur Muay Thai title," Hernandez told CBS Sports. "I got really good at grappling because I kept getting f---ed up and taken down as an amateur. I was like, 'Bro, this shit can't keep happening.'
"I've been grappling so heavily that everyone thinks I'm a grappler. I'm a mixed martial artist at the end of the day. I know how to do everything. I like blending things. That's my strength. I was never the greatest kickboxer, grappler or wrestler. But when you let me fight and it's violent, I can always make it work and be the best in the world. I promise."
Hernandez was notably matched with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 273 in April 2022. Du Plessis was instead matched with Kelvin Gastelum through a card shuffle. Neither fight materialized but du Plessis became middleweight champion two years later. Asked to mull over the butterfly effect of their canceled fight, Hernandez suggested he'd "probably be champion already" if the fight had come to fruition.
Pereira (31-11, 2 NC) is finally meeting expectations. The capoeira wildman is a human highlight reel, flip-stomping and jump-kicking his way to fans' hearts. Pereira's admitted immaturity spurred embarrassing losses to Tristan Connelly and Diego Sanchez early in his UFC run. Newfound restraint fueled Pereira to eight consecutive wins. Pereira committed full-time to middleweight in 2023, partway through his winning streak, leading to three straight finishes. It's been a slow rise through the ranks but Pereira is patient and confident that his work will soon be rewarded.
"Everything has its time. Everything has its timing," Pereira told CBS Sports through an interpreter. "I'm sowing and reaping. It's happening. It's just a matter of time because the results are there."
Pereira shares his opponent's perspective that Saturday's main event is more than striker vs. grappler. Pereira has nearly as many submission finishes as knockouts, something overlooked due to his dynamic striking.
"I'm a black belt in jiu-jitsu..." Pereira said. "You've seen all my finishes by submission. I'm a guy that feels comfortable on the ground. I've trained a lot of jiu-jitsu and wrestling. I've always said, it's better to have something and not need to use it than to need it and not have it. I feel comfortable having it."
Check out the full interview with Michel Pereira below.
Saturday's main event doesn't feature the two card's highest-ranked fighters. That honor goes to the co-main event. Rob Font (No. 10) defends his spot in the bantamweight rankings against surging contender Kyler Phillips (No. 12). Font is on a career-worst 1-4 run. Font's days as a legitimate contender appear to be over but he can find solace in going the distance against former UFC champions Deiveson Figueiredo and Jose Aldo, title challenger Marlon Vera and perennial contender Cory Sandhagen. Phillips is trending upwards with consecutive wins against Pedro Munhoz, Raonis Barcelos and Marcelo Rojo.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday with the latest odds before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Hernandez -145 | Michel Pereira +122 | Middleweight |
| Kyler Phillips -480 | Rob Font +360 | Bantamweight |
| Charles Johnson -225 | Sumudaerji +185 | Flyweight |
| Brady Hiestand -500 | Cameron Smotherman +380 | Bantamweight |
| Daniel Pineda -110 | Darren Elkins -110 | Featherweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Oct. 19 | Start time: 7 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex -- Las Vegas
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira: The longer the fight goes, the more it benefits Hernandez. Neither fighter has much five-round experience on the independent scene. Hernandez is known for his cardio, while Pereira ostensibly gassed himself dancing on the walk to his Tristan Connelly fight. In Pereira's defense, that was a long time ago at a lower weight class. Hernandez averages a ridiculous 6.6 takedowns per 15 minutes; meanwhile, Pereira holds strong with an impressive 94% takedown defense.
Saturday's main event has the potential to play out similarly to Hernandez's last fight. Hernandez took big strikes early from Kopylov before overwhelming him with dogged wrestling. Pereira bridges the technique gap between him and Kopylov with explosive athleticism. The Brazilian fighter is also far better at grappling than Kopylov is. But if Hernandez can submit a fatigued Vieira, he can do the same here. This is a big test for both men. Pereira can certainly win inside15 minutes but I suspect Hernandez will overwhelm him en route to a submission or decision win. Pereira has only been stopped twice in 44 fights, so I'll lean toward a decision. Hernandez via Unanimous Decision
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