Salt Lake City, UT – UFC welterweight Michel Pereira has never been too shy to call out who he wants to fight, and at UFC 291 on Saturday night he gets one of his wishes as he’s matched up with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
“I’m very happy with the opportunity to fight Thompson. It’s a fight that I’ve always wanted, I always call out for, so I’m very happy for the opportunity to actually fight him,” Pereira told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator on Wednesday.
“I’ve always liked his style. He’s a karate guy, me too, same thing. I always thought that us fighting each other would be a great show for the world.”
Pereira was quick to remind though that this is an MMA fight and not a karate match. The ground game is still on the table for him to use.
“Let’s not forget that we’re fighting in MMA here. He’s a striker, I’m a striker, I’m not that big of a fan of fighting on the ground. If need-be i’ll be ready for the ground game,” he said.
A win over the 7th ranked welterweight in the world would bode well for Pereira who would score his 6th consecutive win at UFC 291 if he can get past Thompson.
“I’ve always told people that my time will come. I think that a win against number 7 it will put me where I need to be,” he said.
“Which is on top of that division where Michel Pereira needs to be. Which is among the best.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Michel Pereira above. He takes on Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 291 on Saturday night.
