Preview: UFC 299 Prelims

Middleweights

Michel Pereira (29-11, 7-2 UFC) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-6, 7-4 UFC)

ODDS: Pereira (-148), Oleksiejczuk (+124)

In a middleweight division that seems to be in the middle of a shakeup, there is a decent chance that Pereira can make a big impact. Pereira was a highly touted signing in 2019, though whether or not he could actually compete at the UFC level seemed secondary. Rather, “Demolidor” made his reputation as one of the flashiest fighters in the sport, using his athleticism to throw out crazy idea after crazy idea, even if it often proved to be an ineffective way to actually win a fight. Pereira’s first three UFC appearances ran the gamut of results. His debut against Danny Roberts was a dynamic knockout victory that went as well as possible. However, he gassed himself out and lost to natural featherweight Tristan Connelly, then got himself disqualified against Diego Sanchez. From there, Pereira has either overachieved or disappointed depending on your perspective. He has settled on a more patient style to take advantage of his physical attributes, but while Pereira is still among the most dynamic fighters in the sport, he has lost what made his fights uniquely exciting. Now, Pereira typically uses his speed to try and outmaneuver his opponents at range, and he has shown an impressive ability to time his strikes and halt his opponent’s momentum. After five straight wins at welterweight, the Brazilian was slated for a shot at a ranking against Stephen Thompson in 2023. Instead, Pereira’s weight issues scrapped the idea and forced what looks like a full-time move up to middleweight. Conceptually, that could prove to unlock a new level for Pereira if his cardio is less of a concern in a higher weight class, but his divisional debut did not even need to go that far. Faced with a surging prospect in Andre Petroski, Pereira quickly blasted him and sent him into a tailspin ahead of a 66-second knockout.

Oleksiejczuk is an interesting next test to see how well Pereira’s game will work going forward, though the Pole seems to be in the middle of trying to figure things out himself. Oleksiejczuk did not look impressive at all heading into a late-notice UFC debut against Khalil Rountree in 2017. His regional success relied heavily on his ability to absorb offense and outlast his opponents—an approach that simply figured to get him knocked out by better opposition. Yet that never happened. He proved surprisingly able to absorb everything Rountree threw his way, then went on to become a knockout threat himself as a quick boxer, finishing Gian Villante and Gadzhimurad Antigulov in short order. In a cruel twist, Oleksiejczuk fell in love with the knockout and essentially became the type of fighter he always used to beat, burning himself out in a few losses and finding middling success until cutting down to middleweight in 2022. Oleksiejczuk’s middleweight career has been a bit hard to parse. He has knocked out three of his four opponents but still reads as an underwhelming athlete, and he had to come back from the brink of destruction against Chidi Njokuani in August. Oleksiejczuk brings the type of pace and pressure that should make this an excellent fight if it goes any length of time, but that hinges on his ability to absorb his opponent’s offense once again. The call is that Pereira is finally the man with the power to earn that stoppage. The pick is Pereira via first-round knockout.

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