UFC Rochester Face-Offs: Pereira, Roberts Clash, Main Event Pair Jostle As Well

Danny Roberts and Michel Pereira, UFC Rochester weigh-in
Danny Roberts vs. Michel Pereira Credit: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press

The last little bit of promotion for UFC Rochester came at Friday’s face-offs, where a couple of fighters clearly couldn’t wait to get their hands on their opponents.

Rochester, NY — While it might be one of those cards that exceeds expectations, UFC Rochester didn’t have a ton of sizzle coming in. A serviceable main event, a co-main promoted at the last minute after Neil Magny was pulled from the card, and a promising women’s featherweight clash between Megan Anderson and Felicia Spencer were the the top three bouts.

Well, there was a little more sizzle after Friday morning’s face-offs. After the early (and only) weigh-ins, each pairing on the card faced off. It all went smoothly, until Danny Roberts and newcomer Michel Pereira faced off. The pair immediately came together, head-to-head, Roberts jawing at his opponent. Matchmaker Sean Shelby and UFC staff worked to separate the two, however, when they came back together, things were just as tense. A… head butt? Head shove? In any case, Pereira did something with his head toward the end of the staredown, and the pair were separated again.

Des Green got a raucous welcome in his home town, meanwhile — as he did during the weigh-ins earlier, where his mother made sure her voice was heard. The main event pairing of Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee also did a bit of talking and jostling, although cooler heads prevailed.

UFC Rochester face-off highlights and a full video are available below!