Michel Pereira looked like he was fighting for his future in the UFC on Saturday night.
The 32-year-old Brazilian, known for his wild style, was up against Zachary Reese at UFC Houston.
Pereira came into the bout desperate to end a three-fight losing skid that had kept him out of the win column since May 2024.
Michel Pereira earns debated split decision over Zachary Reese
Pereira returned to the win column with a split decision over Reese at UFC Houston.
Pereira landed an early knockdown but chose not to follow his opponent to the ground.
The opening round was otherwise spoiled by two accidental groin strikes from Reese.
In the second round, Pereira landed some powerful knees in the clinch before another foul from Reese – this time an eye poke – temporarily stopped the action.
Despite that interruption, both fighters exchanged strikes for much of the round, with Reese taking visible damage by the end of it.
The third round saw both men continue trading until the final bell.
Judges scored it 29–28, 28–29, and 29–28 in favour of Pereira. However, boos rang out around the Toyota Center after the official decision was announced.
Many fans on social media branded it a ‘robbery’, while others called for Pereira’s release from the promotion.
Looking back at Michel Pereira’s losing run
Pereira had built an eight-fight win streak across four years before things started to unravel.
That stretch came to an end against Anthony Hernandez in October 2024, when the two headlined UFC Vegas 99.
‘Fluffy’ took control of that bout, eventually finishing Pereira with a fifth-round TKO that moved him into the middleweight conversation.
Pereira then dropped his second straight fight in April 2025, losing a decision to Abus Magomedov.
The most recent setback was a quick one. Kyle Daukaus knocked him out in just 43 seconds at UFC Shanghai in August of last year.
Despite returning to the win column, Pereira still needs to prove himself to the fans following the events of UFC Houston.
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