Michel Pereira looked to cruise to a win in his match against Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 167 on Saturday, but an illegal knee in the final round of their co-main event caused him to be disqualified. It was an unexpected and disappointing end to what was otherwise a dominant performance by the welterweight.
Despite it being a pretty one-sided affair the whole match, there were plenty of exciting moments from both fighters. Sanchez, the hometown favorite from Albuquerque, opened with a front flip that electrified the crowd, but did little actual damage to Pereira. Beyond that opening, Sanchez could mount little defense against the bigger and stronger Pereira, who was the aggressor for much of the fight.
Using his height and reach advantage, Pereira stayed on the offensive and kept Sanchez at bay. He scored a takedown in the closing moments of the second round, allowing him to head into the final frame with confidence. Almost certain he was leading in points and controlling the fight, Pereira began showboating in the third round.
Sanchez tried to find some late fight magic but as he marched forward, Pereira responded with a series of knees. The last one, unfortunately, landed flush with Sanchez's head while he was down, opening up a cut on his forehead. The referee immediately called for a stop in the action and Sanchez was inspected by the doctor.
Sanchez, who had taken a beating all night and was aware that it was an illegal knee that could get him a win via disqualification, told referee Jason Herzon that he couldn't see out of his right eye due to the blood. No blood was actually visible near his eye, but it's possible his vision could've been compromised as a result of the knee anyway. As a result of the disqualification, Sanchez earned the win and moved to 31-12.
Sanchez was taken to the hospital after the fight so he was unable to comment afterward. Pereira, who fell to 23-11 with 1 NC, refused an interview with ESPN. Check out some of the highlights from the fight below.
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