Tag: Michel Pereira

The War Room: Dan Hardy breaks down Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC on ESPN+ 25

Dan Hardy breaks down the co-main event clash between Michel Pereira and Diego Sanchez ahead of fight night at UFC Rio Rancho.

Dan Hardy has transitioned his fighting career to a role behind the mic as one of the sport’s most respected analysts, but even he admits he’s a little unsure of what to expect when Brazilian high flyer [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] takes on UFC legend and inaugural winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag], at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho, N.M.

“What can we expect from this fight?” he asked at the start of his latest fight preview video, “The War Room.”  “I don’t even know what I’m going to tell you!”

The two welterweights are booked to clash on the main card in New Mexico, with the rival 170-pounders set to step into the cage at very different stages in their respective careers, with contrasting skillsets and vastly different levels of experience. There is one thing Pereira (23-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Sanchez (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) do have in common, however. They both love to entertain the crowd.

Ahead of their co-main event bout on Feb. 15, Hardy sat down in his “War Room” to break down the stylistic matchup between the pair. Check out the video above.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

MMA Junkie reader predictions: Make your picks for UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event in Rio Rancho, N.M.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 event in Rio Rancho.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN+ 25 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The event streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for all six main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

See the UFC on ESPN+ 25 poster that features a pivotal light heavyweight rematch

See the official poster for UFC Rio Rancho, which features Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz with a lot at stake.

A pivotal rematch between two top light heavyweight contenders will headline the UFC’s first trip to New Mexico since 2014.

[autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN+ 25 main event, which could determine who gets the next shot at the 205-pound title.

The two first met at UFC 191 in 2015, when Anderson defeated Blachowicz in a lopsided unanimous decision.

Over four years later, Anderson is enjoying the best run of his UFC career, having won his last four in a row. He is coming off a first-round TKO over the highly touted Johnny Walker at UFC 244.

Blachowicz also has picked up two of his most notable wins, knocking out former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold followed by a split decision win over “Jacare” Souza last November.

In the co-main event, New Mexico’s own and fan favorite [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) will take on Brazil’s [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

Check out the official poster for UFC on ESPN+ 25 below:

UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Feb. 15 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The card streams on ESPN+.

The UFC on ESPN+ 25 lineup includes:

  • Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz
  • Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez
  • John Dodson vs. Nathaniel Wood
  • Yancy Medeiros vs. Lando Vannata
  • Mark De La Rosa vs. Raulian Paiva
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Ray Borg
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mara Romero Borella
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Nicco Montano
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Devin Clark
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Casey Kenney
  • Scott Holtzman vs. Jim Miller
  • Kazula Vargas vs. Brok Weaver
  • Ramazan Emeev vs. Tim Means

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Diego Sanchez vs. Michel Pereira set for UFC Rio Rancho

Diego Sanchez returns to action when he takes on high-flying Michel Pereira at UFC Rio Rancho.

New Mexico will have the opportunity to see one of their own fight live at UFC Rio Rancho this February.

Albuquerque’s [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] returns to action when he takes on high-flying [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] at the Feb. 15 event, according to a press release issued by the promotion Wednesday afternoon.

In his most recent fight at UFC 239 in July, Sanchez (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) had a two-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Michael Chiesa. The booking against Pereira signifies Sanchez has re-signed with the UFC, since the Chiesa fight was the last on his previous contract.

His opponent, Pereira (23-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC), made a statement in his promotional debut when he flattened Danny Roberts in under two minutes this past May. In his sophomore UFC appearance in September, however, Pereira was defeated by short-notice replacement and massive underdog Tristan Connelly.

UFC Rio Rancho takes place Saturday, Feb. 15 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The card is expected to air on ESPN or stream on ESPN+.

Latest UFC Rio Rancho linuep:

  • Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mara Romero Borella
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Ray Borg
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Nicco Montano
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Devin Clark
  • Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez

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