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Michel Pereira defeated André Fialho at UFC 270 to claim his fourth straight win. He was originally scheduled to fight the No.15-ranked Muslim Salikhov so one has to imagine that his next bout will see him finally take on some ranked competition.
Welterweight is an intriguing division in the UFC. The dominant champion Kamaru Usman has beaten the majority of the top contenders although there are some fresh challengers coming through. With the UFC building up Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Brady, perhaps Pereira could also join this group of surging contenders.
Before that can happen, Pereira needs to get himself in the rankings. He should have had an opportunity to do so in his last fight and while that fell through, it would be shocking if his next bout was against an unranked fighter. This narrows done the list somewhat and makes it easier to predict who he may face next.
The Brazilian is on quite a roll with four straight wins and here are five fights that could be next for Michel Pereira:
#5. Michel Pereira vs. Michael Chiesa
Michael Chiesa has been one of the top welterweights in the UFC for a number of years. Having moved up from lightweight in 2018, he racked up four impressive victories but has now dropped his last two. With Chiesa needing a step down in competition and Pereira needing a step up, why not match them up?
Chiesa remains a very game competitor in the octagon and would likely force Pereira to minimize his theatrics and perform at his best. The grappling vs. striker dynamic would also be a fun element to this potential matchup.
Pitting Michel Pereira against a top veteran in the division would provide a great way of seeing where both men are at. The Brazilian can prove he is a legitimate contender at welterweight while Chiesa is given the chance to get back on track against a popular unranked fighter in the division.
#4. Michel Pereira vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
While neither fighter is ranked in the top ten, Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio are still two of the most popular fighters at welterweight. Pitting them against each other would allow the UFC to see which man is ready to start climbing up those rankings.
Ponzinibbio had been on a seven-fight win streak but has had mixed results since returning to the octagon after a two-year break. He is 1-2 since returning and appears to be performing at the level of a lower-ranked fighter. With Pereira looking for an opponent at that level, this makes plenty of sense.
Although Pereira is not currently ranked, he might be looking for someone placed higher than the Argentine in his next outing. The Brazilian was meant to face the No.15 ranked fighter last time out and added another win to his current streak. Maybe the No.14 fighter who is coming off a loss will not be appealing enough.
#3. Michel Pereira vs. Geoff Neal
If we use the above logic, perhaps a bout with the No.12 ranked fighter who is coming off a win, would be more appropriate for Pereira. Geoff Neal picked up a narrow split decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio last time out and could easily be a more appealing option for the Brazilian.
While Neal had lost his previous two before the Ponzinibbio win, he is a well-established welterweight with some big wins on his record. Neal has defeated the likes of Belal Muhammad and would be quite the scalp if Pereira is able to get by him.
Geoff Neal appears to be exactly the sort of opponent that the Brazilian needs. For Neal, this would give the opportunity to turn his win into a streak and set him up to begin looking above him in the rankings once again.
#2. Michel Pereira vs. Li Jingliang
Michel Pereira vs. Li Jingliang would be a great fight given both men's most recent performances. While the Brazilian is coming off another strong win, Jingliang's last bout was a one-sided defeat to Khamzat Chimaev.
'The Leech' is a much better fighter than that bout would indicate and a bout against the Brazilian would give him the chance to prove it. Given the dominant nature of that loss, pitting him against another flashy opponent would be a great way to re-establish Jingliang as a contender at welterweight.
At the same time, the potential for him to suffer another highlight-reel type of finish makes him a great opponent for the fun-to-watch Brazilian. This fight makes a ton of sense as it will either further elevate Pereira and prove he is ready for bigger challenges or see Jingliang get back on track in a big way.
#1. Michel Pereira vs. Stephen Thompson
There aren't too many names in the welterweight division bigger than Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson. While the former title contender has now lost two on the bounce, he remains highly ranked at No.7. A fight between the pair would allow the UFC to either get their big name back on track or create a new star in Pereira.
On top of that, this fight would be absolutely must-see given the striking credentials of both men. 'Wonderboy' is well-known for his incredibly high level karate and kick-boxing. Matching that up with the Brazilian's creative and unorthodox striking, which has made him so popular, would surely produce fireworks.
Pereira fighting Thompson could easily produce a fight like we have never seen in the UFC given the unique styles of both men. For that reason, it seems like a great option for the Brazilian and here's hoping we get this bout next.
