UFC Fight Night 257: Michel Pereira vs Kyle Daukaus Preview & Prediction
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The ever-entertaining Michel Pereira takes on the returning Kyle Daukas in a middleweight tilt, looking to banish the demons associated with his current dismal two fight losing skid.
Michel Pereira vs Kyle Daukaus facts
What time are Michel Pereira and Kyle Daukaus expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Shanghai, China
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 257
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang main card
Johnny Walker vs Zhang Mingyang (Light Heavyweight)
Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling (Featherweight)
Sergei Pavlovich vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta (Heavyweight)
Su Mudaerji vs Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Taiyilake Nueraji vs Kiefer Crosbie (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night 257: Walker vs Zhang prelims
Maheshate Hayisaer vs Gauge Young (Lightweight)
Lone'er Kavanagh vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Rong Zhu vs Austin Hubbard (Lightweight)
Michel Pereira vs Kyle Daukaus (Middleweight)
Yi Zha vs Westin Wilson (Featherweight)
Xiao Long vs You Su-young (Bantamweight)
Uran Satybaldiev vs Diyar Nurgozhay (Light Heavyweight)
Michel Pereira: The explosive "Demolidor" returns in the hopes of proving that he still has the ability to cut it in the MMA big leagues
Known for some of the most outrageous striking techniques ever seen in an MMA cage, Michel Pereira (31-13, 2 NC) enters this contest at a career crossroads. After toning down his acrobatic fighting style following two farcical losses, "Demolidor" won eight successive fights between welterweight and middleweight, a streak that included four vicious finishes. Unfortunately, that was before he ran into current streaking middleweight contender, Anthony Hernandez. "Fluffy" proceeded to hand out one of the worst prolonged beatdowns in UFC history, reducing Pereira to a bloody smudge on the canvas en route to a fifth round TKO victory. The residual effects of the harrowing loss were clear in Pereira's last outing, a unanimous decision defeat to Abus Magomedov where he looked completely shot. Magomedov even wobbled the famed KO artist on multiple occasions, raising legitimate concerns as to whether he still has the ability to hang tough at middleweight.
Kyle Daukaus: Can the former CFFC middleweight champion earn redemption in his second UFC run?
Returning to the world's premiere MMA organization for his second run after fighting out his first contract, Kyle Daukaus (11-4, 1 NC) will likely enter this contest with a chip on his shoulder. The younger Daukaus brother went 2-4 with 1 NC between 2020 and 2022, with the UFC opting not to resign him following successive TKO defeats to Roman Dolidze and Eryk Anders. However "The D'Arce Knight" has been perfect outside of the UFC since, winning and defending the Cage Fury Middleweight Championship in a 4-0 run that has included three finishes. A talented grappler with eleven submission victories to his name, the path to victory over Daukaus has historically been through exploiting his limited stand up game; despite his length, the American's ploddy striking is mediocre at best.
Michel Pereira vs Kyle Daukaus prediction
Simply put, the outcome of this matchup is entirely contingent on which version of Pereira shows up. There's a significant possibility that his career altering destruction at the hands of Anthony Hernandez signaled the end of his time as a dangerous contender.
If "Demolidor" produces another limp performance like his last fight against Abus Magomedov, Daukaus is likely to outwrestle the Brazilian for a relatively easy win, potentially even snatching up a submission along the way. Despite several submission victories to his name, Pereira's primary weakness has always been his wrestling, and "The D'Arce Knight" could conceivably add to his impressive tally of eleven victories by tap out.
However, Pereira isn't dead and buried just yet. It's easy to forget that prior to his current two fight losing skid that the acrobatic Brazilian was on an absolute tear, winning eight fights in a row where he completely destroyed competition who are arguably on a similar level to his next opponent. Daukaus also got obliterated on the feet by Roman Dolidze and Eryk Anders in his last two UFC fights; fighters who are not even in the same ballpark as "Demolidor" when it comes to striking.
If Pereira is to win this one, it's likely to be early and in brutal fashion. The Brazilian could well lay another egg in the Octagon and get dominated on the ground again, but it's hard to pick against such a lethal contender until we see him lose decisively to a competitor of Daukaus' caliber.
Prediction: Michel Pereira to win by stoppage
