Michel Pereira and Anthony Hernandez might not be the first names that come to mind when you think “future title challenger,” but that’s exactly what the UFC Vegas 99 main event winner could be after Saturday.

“Demolidor”—currently holding on to the No. 15 spot at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—has evolved into a legitimate contender after beginning his UFC career as an oddity. Following a run at welterweight that was foiled more by the scale than his opposition, Pereira made the shrewd decision to move to middleweight where he’s racked up three straight finishes. He faces his toughest challenge in the division yet, though, with Hernandez having won five straight fights.

Since a disappointing knockout loss to Kevin Holland, Hernandez has racked up a series of strong performances, including a stunning submission of grappling ace Rodolfo Vieira, and a streak-busting win over Roman Kopylov in his most recent appearance. “Fluffy” has been saying all the right things about wanting to take on a champion someday and he’s working his way to that opportunity one win at a time.

Not only is Pereira vs. Hernandez unlikely to disappoint from an action standpoint, but we’ll also find out how close either man is to joining the middleweight elite.

In other main card action, Rob Font looks to snap a skid and the three-fight win streak of Kyler Phillips, Charles Johnson is out to prove he’s a player at 125 pounds as he fights Sumudaerji, Jake Hadley takes on short-notice replacement Cameron Smotherman, and Darren Elkins meets Daniel Pineda in a battle of featherweight veterans.

What: UFC Vegas 99

Where: UFC APEX in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The six-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a five-fight main card at 7 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)

Michel Pereira (15) vs. Anthony Hernandez

Michel Pereira’s plans for world domination are going swimmingly.

First, he dialed back his one-of-a-kind fighting style, going from full-on jazz odyssey every time he went out there to a more technical and, yes, winning approach.

Second, he saved himself an extra 15 pounds of weight cutting by moving to middleweight, which is where he belongs at this stage of his career. Dude is massive.

Third, and most importantly, bring back some of the craziness while still adhering to the more mature tactics that have put you on a career-best eight-fight win streak.

It’s almost too simple.

Anthony Hernandez has the style needed to ruin Pereira’s unlikely championship charge, with a deep reserve of wrestling and grappling techniques in his arsenal. He knows he has to take Pereira down to win, it’s just a matter of executing. We have seen Pereira fall prey to a wrestling-heavy attack before, but that was a bizarre fight against Tristan Connelly in which we clearly didn’t get the best version of “Demolidor,” so I wouldn’t use that as a strong point of comparison.

If Hernandez can take this fight to the championship rounds, Pereira’s cardio might not be up to snuff, so that’s another factor to consider. But I like Pereira’s chances of keeping the fight standing and scoring a knockout before Round 4.

Pick: Pereira

Rob Font (14) vs. Kyler Phillips

Saturday’s main event isn’t the only fight with title contender implications.

Kyler Phillips has been a sleeper at 135 pounds for some time now, his rise to the top only hindered by inactivity and a narrow decision loss. Otherwise, Phillips just needs more quality wins to continue building his résumé. Pedro Munhoz and Song Yadong were good ones, and Rob Font could be the most important victory yet.

That’s not to say Font is a walk-over for Phillips. If Font is a gatekeeper, he’s one of the best, as evidenced by his having gone five rounds with names like Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and Marlon Vera. All losses, but all fights in which Font’s opponent had to work hard to get by.

The same will be true of Phillips, who has to put forth a career-best effort to avoid losing momentum. Both of these fighters are outstanding technical strikers, with Phillips having the slight edge in activity, speed, and agility. He can’t let up for a second, because all it takes is a couple of mistakes for Font to steal rounds and cause Phillips’ night to end in disappointment.

Phillips keeps it together and wins a decision.

Pick: Phillips

Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji

Charles Johnson has shown some great hands during this unexpected three-fight win streak, but it’s his versatility that could be the difference against Sumudaerji. “The Tibetan Eagle” has proven susceptible to submissions throughout his career and if Johnson wants to make it four in a row, he should be sure to include takedowns in his game plan.

Sumudaerji is a threat on the feet and if he hurts Johnson early, it could be a long—or even worse, short—night for “InnerG.” The length of Sumudaerji is one of his strengths and if he controls distance, he’ll work his way to a decision win.

But his defensive shortcomings are too significant to ignore, so I’m actually picking Johnson to catch him on the feet sometime after the opening five minutes. From there, Johnson will find an opening to grapple, either wrestling Sumudaerji down or scrambling to take his back. A choke and a tap are soon to follow.

Pick: Johnson

Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman

If you’ve never seen Cameron Smotherman fight before, the strategy to foil him is pretty clear so far: Take this dude down.

That’s not to say that Smotherman isn’t capable on the ground—in fact, he’s difficult to attack even if put on his back—but you’re much better off wrestling with him there than trading shots on the feet. “The Baby-Faced Killer” is a speedy and accurate striker, always looking for an opening and a threat to finish for all 15 minutes. He could have Jake Hadley on skates early if Hadley isn’t careful.

Fortunately for Hadley, he’s got good hands, too, and Smotherman isn’t always the most defensively responsible fighter. Add in Hadley’s potential to take Smotherman down and he has a clear path to victory so long as he doesn’t freelance too much on the feet.

I have Hadley winning a decision after a tense three rounds, but Smotherman is an exciting addition to the roster and I look forward to his next fight when he has a full training camp.

Pick: Hadley

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

Combined, Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda have 41 UFC appearances and 86 pro bouts overall. To put it lightly, they’ve been through it.

It was only a matter of time until these two faced off and the only complaint one can have is that it’s taking place at the APEX as opposed to being witnessed live by thousands of appreciative fans. It’s just weird to think about how Elkins and Pineda clawed their way up from fighting in local bars to competing at packed venues and now back to an empty building.

Sigh.

None of that matters once the cage door shuts and these fighters rush headfirst into a scrap. How does one even begin to break this one down? It’s not as if Elkins and Pineda are devoid of technique, it’s just that they’re quick to throw it out the window once the poop hits the fan. And it definitely will.

I see the grappling game being dead even here, so they’re going to have to slug it out, and in that scenario I favor “The Damage.” He might not put Pineda down for the count, but he’ll do enough to win a decision in a bout that will likely see both warriors bloody and battered by the end.

Pick: Elkins

Preliminaries

Asu Almabayev (15) def. Matheus Nicolau (13)

Brad Katona def. Jean Matsumoto

Tamires Vidal def. Joselyne Edwards

Jessica Penne def. Elise Reed

Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean

Robelis Despaigne def. Austen Lane

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has dismissed Conor McGregor’s recent social media attack.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) recently acquired the UFC’s welterweight crown by dominating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fired verbal shots at Muhammad, criticizing his fighting style and drawing power, while vowing to become a three-division champion.

“I’d love to crush my left hook into Belal’s temple and take down the triple crown,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “I’d do it easily. And fast!

“To think this bum is now a UFC champion with zero knockdowns on his resume whatsoever is so bad. The UFC’s most abysmal zero revenue generating fighter in modern history.”

McGregor, who won titles in the UFC’s featherweight and lightweight divisions, has three times at 170 pounds in the UFC. Not only does Muhammad not see a path for a potential showdown in the octagon, he believes McGregor’s fighting career is over.

“I don’t think he fights again, ever,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I think that he’s in that part of his life now where he’s starting to realize people are starting to forget about him. He loves that attention so much, so when he sees something happening in the UFC that’s getting headlines, he wants to take that attention.

“I get a fight announced and he wants to act like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight this guy,’ and he knows people are going to talk about it and speak about it. Even after big fights – watch after the Max Holloway fight against Ilia Topuria, he’s going to come up with a stupid speech.”

Muhammad is set for his first title defense less than five months after winning the title. He’ll take on undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his lower leg in July 2021 at UFC 264 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. He has long been linked to a fight against Michael Chandler, but the fight continued to get pushed back further to the point Chandler decided to move on.

Recently, McGregor has appeared at BKFC events, the bareknuckle boxing promotion of which he is now a part-owner. In interviews, the Irishman claims he’s eager to return to action, but he and the UFC cannot seem to get on the same page.

McGregor has found a new potential opponent in Dan Hooker, who recently agreed to fight while at a BKFC event.

Muhammad thinks it’s all a part of McGregor’s plan to stay on people’s minds.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Muhammad said. “He knows he’s going to get people to speak about him and say, ‘Oh, maybe McGregor will come back in 2027. Maybe McGregor will come back in 2028.

“I think he needs to hit rehab first. Once he gets clear and clean, then he can get back in the gym and get back to working out.”

The PFL Battle of the Giants start time and TV schedule for the Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira event at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday afternoon is below.

The fight card is broken into two different parts and airs on multiple mediums. This post helps explain which fights are airing where and at which times.

The event kicks off with a four-fight preliminary card 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and DAZN, headlined by a bantamweight bout between Raufeon Stots and Marcos Breno.

Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno

Makkasharip Zaynukov vs. Dedrek Sanders

Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Nacho Campos

Tariq Ismail vs. Taha Bendaoud

The ESPN+ and DAZN pay-per-view begins at 4 p.m. ET and features three title fights. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira clash for the PFL Superfight Heavyweight Championship, while Larissa Pacheco and former UFC champion Cris Cyborg clash for the PFL Superfight Featherweight Championship. Johnny Eblen puts his Bellator middleweight belt on the line against Fabian Edwards on the main card as well.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

Daniel Barez wants to test himself against one of the hottest names in the UFC’s flyweight division today.

The Spanish fighter is hoping to get booked against Mexico’s Ronaldo Rodriguez, better known as “Lazy Boy,” for his next trip to the octagon. Barez (17-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) thinks it is a fight that lends itself to be a fan-friendly affair and thinks it is a next step that makes sense for both parties.

“He’s a fighter that had to go through a lot to get in the UFC as well,” Barez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “He went to Contender Series, lost, and then came back – which is very similar to my path.

“He’s a warrior, he’s Mexican, and I train in Mexico as well, and he has a warrior’s spirit. I think it would be a really good fight. He has really good boxing and good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. He has two UFC fights like me, so I don’t think I’m asking for anything crazy. I hope I get it.”

Barez is coming off a unanimous decision over Victor Altamirano at a UFC Fight Night in Paris last month. Meanwhile, “Lazy Boy” also comes off a decision win, as he outpointed Ode Osbourne at UFC 306 at Sphere.

Although he was already on his radar, Barez liked what he saw from Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), which made him even more interested in calling him out.

“I thought it was a very tough fight, and yet he was able to pull off the comeback after getting knocked down by his opponent,” Barez said. “The truth is that that’s why I’d love to fight him. He’s a guy that fights till the very end, and I consider myself the same type of fighter. I fight till the end, and I don’t give up. That’s why I want to fight him.”

Barez was born and still lives in Spain, but he does a good chunk of his training camps at Entram Gym in Tijuana, Mexico. Throughout his years traveling to the Americas, Barez has picked up the world-famous Mexican boxing style – which he would like to put to the test against a native.

“He’s Mexican, and he trains his boxing with great pros,” Barez said. “I’m Spanish, but I’ve been training a long time in Mexico, so I’d love to box him. He boxes well, but so do I. I hit very hard and I can knock anyone out in the division, just like he can. So let’s see who has better Mexican boxing, let’s throw down.”