The madness of Michel Pereira knows no boundaries. The eccentric Brazilian once again raised showmanship to absurd new levels at UFC 301. Pereira showcased his signature backflip move once again against Ihor Potieira, but it almost cost him this fight.
Michel Pereira uncorked a punch in the opening round against Ihor Potieira. This sent Potieria to the canvas. The Brazilian then launched himself backward into a backflip and torqued his body around mid-air. The show was spectacular, but it could have had major consequences.
Pereira managed to blast Potieira in the face and shoulder with a knee. A knee to a grounded opponent is an illegal move in the UFC. However, the referee did not stop the fight after this incident. They kept going, and Pereira eventually secured a guillotine choke on Potieira and tapped him out. Ihor Potieira was semi-unconscious at the point and dropped to the canvas. The backflip has become Pereira’s signature move. He even backflipped at the weigh-ins of UFC 301.
The outrageous move sent Pereira’s countryman fans at Rio’s Jeunesse Arena into delirium. The performance made the crowd go ballistic for their national hero. But the judges didn’t share their enthusiasm. Pereira had his shin hit the face of the downed opponent.
This was a foul that could change the fate of this fight. This is not the first time Periera has done this. The judges were discussing whether to call off this win. Ultimately, they decided to give Pereira the win. This was due to the brunt of the force of the knee taken by Potieira’s shoulder.
Fight fans react to Michel Pereira’s backflip at UFC 301
When it comes to Michel Pereira, the only predictable thing is utter chaos and backflips. The Brazilian once again created mayhem with his latest unhinged maneuver. Pereira launched himself backward into a backflip, then torqued his body around mid-air to blast Ihor Potieira flush in the face with a knee at UFC 301. This card was headlined by Steve Erceg vs. Alexandre Pantoja.
Fight fans reacted to Michel Pereira’s backflip (via X)Fight fans reacted to this awesome technique in a variety of ways. Some fight fans believed that this was the epitome of entertainment. Others felt that this backflip was way too close for comfort and could have gotten him disqualified. Some fans felt that this fight should have been stopped due to the illegal strike. Here are some of the reactions from fight fans:
Give him Paulo Costa
— Donald Exotic (@GitterMma) May 5, 2024
Yeah he needs to chill on that cus that illegal
If his knee hits that’s an illegal knee to a grounded opponent.
— HJC765 🦎 (@HJC369) May 5, 2024
Was that a backflip knee to the face
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 5, 2024
MICHAEL PEREIRA IS SO COOL BRO 😂😂😂
— Aj (@AjDuxche) May 5, 2024
The celebrations at the arena in Rio showcased the excitement of the Brazilian crowd witnessing this event. Love him or hate him, fight fans simply can’t ignore the showstopping Brazilian’s compulsion to entertain. His brand of chaos relentlessly chases limits, even when it’s too close for comfort.
