The Ultimate Fighting Championship Welterweight heavyweights Michel Pereira and Stephen Thompson are all set to battle at UFC 291 on Saturday, July 29, in Delta Center. Pereira has started taking fighting more seriously since his loss to Tristan Conely in 2019. The Demolidore is still wild, and that has resulted in his current five-fight win streak. On the other hand, the 40-year-old Veteran Thompson is still active and faster than most of his 30-year-old fellows, although that doesn’t mean that he is at his peak. Let’s have a look at the stats of both fighters to see who has better chances of winning.
Michel Pereira
Pereira has a record of 28-11, out of which some of his major wins were against Niko Price, Danny Roberts, Zelim Imadaev, and Andre Fialho. Michel is a fighter who defies physics. Despite being a welterweight, he is big and solid. Apart from being Huge, he is a powerful and clever range striker who has fine ground skills and abundant experience. Pereira’s size, rapidity, and striking skills give him a good advantage against Thompson. He is not going to be a loser on a technical level. Although he has good physical characteristics, “The Wonderboy” has handled several young fighters perfectly, so Pereira will need to mix up his attacks and takedowns.
Stephen Thompson
The Wonderboy has a record of 16-6-1, which includes some prime wins against Kevin Holland, Robert Whittaker, Johnny Hendricks, and Rory MacDonald. Thompson has some unique skills, like the fact that, despite being a striker, he uses the sidekick very effectively, and his consistent darting creates offensive options. Thompson is great at changing directions and moving quickly, but Pereira has a great presence inside the cage, so it will be important for Thompson to hold his ground for a long time against an opponent who moves with confidence.
Who has a better chance of winning ?
Thompson’s top-10 ranking will be at stake during this fight. Although he has amazed people many times with his exceptional comebacks, some still believe that strong wrestlers like Michel can put him through hell. But Thompson’s stand-up is still so good that he can cause trouble for many. The right conditions would also work wonders, but his dream for the title isn’t dead yet. As for Pereira, this looks like one of the more winnable fixtures for him in the top 10. He is coming with a winning streak and has earned the opportunity, so capitalizing will really propel him into the title mix. The Demolidore have a better chance of winning tomorrow.
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