End of the bad streak! Michel Pereira wins battle against training partner and relieves pressure at UFC Houston.

Michel Pereira celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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After three defeats, Michel Pereira finally put an end to his bad run. At UFC Houston, an event held this Saturday (21), the Brazilian faced Zachary Reese and had difficulty, but managed to do enough to convince the judges. At the end of the 15 minutes of action, the Flying Paraense won by split decision.

With this important result, Michel, who was under pressure, breathes a sigh of relief in the UFC. Now, the athlete will seek to regain stability in his career and move up in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg).

Michel's MMA Fighters

Michel Pereira , 31, is a veteran MMA fighter and showman in action. The Brazilian began his career in the sport in 2011, fought in several organizations, and debuted in the UFC in 2019. In the sport, he has built a record of 32 wins and 14 losses. His main victories were over Michal Oleksiejczuk and Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Exciting start and drama at the end.

At the start, Michel landed a powerful kick to Reese's midsection. Energized, Michel startled Reese with a straight punch. Fueled by momentum, Michel knocked Reese down with a long-range straight right. On the ground, Reese posed a threat with a kick. Sharp-witted, Michel continued his offensive. Worried, Reese resorted to low kicks and midsection strikes to get back into the fight. Confident in his boxing, Michel continued throwing punches while absorbing kicks from Reese.

In an exchange of blows, Michel signaled that he had received a second low blow and, just like the first time, was booed by the crowd, who began to shout "USA!" Encouraged by the support, Reese landed a high kick that stunned Michel. Attempting a spinning elbow, Michel capitalized on Reese's mistake and took him down. Upon standing, Michel tried to lock in Reese's neck, but failed to secure the submission. On their feet, the pair continued exchanging blows, with Reese posing more of a threat.

In the second round, Michel landed another good kick on Reese and a knee to the midsection. Taking the brunt of the exchanges, Reese suffered a nosebleed. For the third time, the fight was interrupted, this time due to an eye poke by Reese. Upon resuming, Reese surprised everyone by taking Michel down. On the ground, Reese delivered punches and elbows to Michel. Standing, Reese landed a powerful punch that exploded on Michel's face. In response, Michel threw a flying knee. In another exchange of blows, Michel landed a straight right on Reese. Reese then landed a straight right on Michel. In the final moments, Reese threatened with a series of crosses and landed a knee strike.

In the third round, Reese landed a punch and two kicks on Michel and tried to surprise him with another takedown, but was unsuccessful. In turn, Michel landed two good straight punches on Reese. Then, Reese landed a high kick on Michel. Hesitant, Michel waited for the right moment to attack and, thus, received more blows. In the final stretch, Reese even managed to unbalance Michel. He still had time to take Michel down, but Reese was alert and almost finished him. In the final seconds, Reese and Michel struck each other.

Smith impresses

Smith promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Keep an eye on him! Jacobe Smith lived up to expectations, putting on a real show in the octagon. A promising welterweight (up to 77,1 kg) fighter in the UFC, he completely dominated Josiah Harrell. In just one round, 'Cobe' knocked out his opponent, ending his undefeated streak in MMA.

Now, the 30-year-old American, who rose to fame through the Contender Series, has won his third UFC fight, all by knockout, and remains undefeated in the sport. Excited, Smith took the opportunity to challenge Kevin Holland , aiming to break into the top 15 of the division.

UFC Houston Results

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