Pereira Calls Out Chimaev, Acknowledges Potential Rejection: ‘He’s Too Much of a Prima Donna’
Fresh out of his UFC 299 victory against Michal Oleksiejczuk, the Brazilian is ready for another fight soon. After his second win in the middleweight division, Pereira is now looking to enter the top 15 of the division and already has an opponent in sight.
On his latest performance, Michel Pereira made quick work of Oleksiejczuk. In 61 seconds, the Brazilian swarmed his opponent with brutal knees to the body, finishing the fight with a choke in spectacular fashion.
Now, after taking little to no damage in his second middleweight UFC fight, Pereira is looking for a new opponent, preferably at UFC 301, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In an interview with MMA Journalist Laerte Viana, he expressed his desire to face one of the most popular fighters in today’s era, Khamzat Chimaev. When asked about who would he like to face, Pereira said:
“There is Chimaev, he is a guy I would like to face,” the Brazilian said. “However, he is too much of a Prima-Donna to accept.”
Later, Michel shared his discontent with Chimaev and the rest of the UFC roster for refusing his callouts.
“I don’t know if it’s fear, if it’s fussiness, or if it’s diva behavior—These guys have to get over themselves,” he continued. “I ask for fights, and they never accept… So the best thing I can do is stay quiet and wait—Put anyone in front of me and let the chaos ensue.”
A potential Chimaev vs Pereira would certainly be a fan-favorite. Despite being former welterweights, both athletes are among the tallest and largest in the division. Also, Pereira’s black belt in BJJ and his physicality could pose problems for the undefeated Chechen.
Why Chimaev vs Pereira is Probably Not Happening in Brazil
Unfortunately, the likelihood of this fight happening in Brazil is close to none. Today, Chimaev is among the most popular Muslim fighters in the world (alongside Islam Makhachev). The UFC is likely not going to waste the opportunity of having Khamzat perform at an event in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, visa-related issues have prevented Chimaev from competing in the United States, limiting his appearances to fight cards in either Europe or Saudi Arabia.
Pereira anticipates encountering obstacles on his journey to the top of the rankings. He reveals that he is close friends with three fighters in the top 15 and insists he would not compete against them under any circumstances unless it was for a title shot.
Training at Extreme Couture, Pereira is a partner of the #15 Caio Borralho, #14 Cris Kurtis, and the #1 ranked Sean Strickland. An alternative for his Brazil Card appearance would be to face his fellow Brazilian ‘Paulo Costa’. However, Costa has already refused to compete in the card.
