WATCH: Michel Pereira Slaps Opponent Hard in the Middle Of The Fight

Michel Pereira stole the show at UFC Vegas 9 with a series of quirky shots and his impressive submission victory.

Pereira badly needed a victory heading into this fight. The Brazilian suffered a DQ loss in his last fight against Diego Sanchez. Also, with his UFC contract winding down, it was important that he secured the win for a potential new contract or the chance to compete at another high-level promotion.

Pereira, who is known to be flashy, did not disappoint one bit. The Brazilian was sharp from the start and took every opportunity to land clean shots.

Michel Pereira lands insane shot against Zelim Imadaev

Though Zelim Imadaev was previously a kickboxer, he did not pose a major threat to Pereira. The highlight of the fight was his trademark ‘Showtime’ kick. Michel ran up to the cage, jumped, and landed a solid shot on Zelim.

Pereira cut down on his theatrics for a moment before heading into round 2. But as the Brazilian timed and executed a rolling thunder-kick, Imadaev pushed back. However, Pereira was still the more dominant fighter.

The Brazilian toyed around with his opponent in round 3 and went as far as mocking and slapping Imadaev.  He then took Zelim down with a belly to belly suplex.

Pereira expertly choked Imadaev out and recorded his second win in the promotion.

Pereira has what it takes to compete at the highest level. His fight against Diego Sanchez was not a true reflection of the veterans’ skills in the octagon.

After his impressive win, Periera could see an extension in his contract and the chance to face higher-ranked opponents. Michel called out Jorge Masvidal after the fight and announced his intentions on competing for the BMF title.

This might be a long shot, as Masvidal is way ahead of Pereira in the rankings. However, if the Brazilian can sting together some impressive wins, we could see him compete for the title one day.

Read: WATCH: Michel Pereira Calls Out Jorge Masvidal After Rear Naked Choke Victory at UFC Fight Night