Michel Pereira danced his way to the cage, then plowed through opponent Michal Oleksiejczuk for a quick win at UFC 299.
The middleweight bout on the prelims at Kaseya Center lasted only 61 seconds as Pereira (30-11 MMA, 8-2 UFC) put Oleksiejczuk (19-7 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) unconscious with a rear-naked choke.
The submission attempt followed a body punch that visibly hurt Oleksiejczuk, who clutched his midsection and retreated back to the fence. Pereira drilled Oleksiejczuk with knees to the body and clinched. As Oleksiejczuk turned away, Pereira grabbed a choke and dragged the fight to the canvas. Oleksiejczuk was rendered helpless and referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the fight.
Pereira’s biggest highlight may not have even been the finish, however. During his walkout, Pereira and his trainer choreographed a wild dance routine that got the crowd buzzing.
The Polish star appeared to be the victim of a leveled up Pereira, who immediately left him badly hurt with brutal kicks and knees to the body, before latching onto his neck and choking him out in just over a minute.
MMA Community Reacts To Michel Pereira’s Pre-Fight Dance, In-Fight Finish
Unsurprisingly, Pereira’s performance (both in regard to the dancing and fighting) drew plenty of reactions online, with a host of prominent fighters and personalities joining fans in praising the show that “Demolidor” put on in the “Magic City.”