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UFC Vegas Sphere Event Gets Barn Burner Ranked Middleweight Fight

This Noche UFC addition will not disappoint.

Mathew Riddle

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 13-ranked UFC middleweight Michel Pereira will face No. 13 Anthony Hernandez at Noche UFC 2 at the Vegas Sphere on September 14.

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Pereira announced the news on June 3. Hernandez also confirmed the fight news on the same date. The fight will make for one of the highest level fights on the card, with Pereira riding an eight fight winning streak, and Hernandez a five fight streak.

Michel Pereira vs. Anthony Hernandez
Michel Pereira is known for his fighting acrobatics. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Pereira has found a surge of activity after securing one fight in 2023. He has already fought and won twice in 2024; this will be his third booking of the year. Pereira is on the hottest streak of his fighting career, with three first-round finishes back-to-back over high-tier opposition in Ihor Potieria, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Andre Petroski.

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Hernandez is on a similar trend with one of the most impressive winning streaks at middleweight currently. It began with a submission victory over world-class BJJ practitioner Rodolfo Vieira in 2021, and most recently concluded with a submission win over the surging Roman Kopylov in February.

A decisive win for either man at the Vegas Sphere could see them springboard the rest of the rankings in their next booking, if not just a shot at the division's top 10.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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