Fans were excited to see Michel Pereira clash with Muslim Salikhov on January 15 at UFC Vegas 46. However, this interesting welterweight fight will no longer take place as Salikhov pulled out from it due to undisclosed reasons.
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MMA Fighting’s journalist Guilherme Cruz disclosed this news on Twitter. He wrote, “Michel Pereira needs a new opponent for Jan. 15 as Muslim Salikhov has withdrawn from the UFC Vegas 46 co-main event, I’m told.”
Michel Pereira needs a new opponent for Jan. 15 as Muslim Salikhov has withdrawn from the UFC Vegas 46 co-main event, I'm told.
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) January 7, 2022
So while people might not get to see both the fighters together in the octagon, the UFC is searching for a replacement. Hence, Pereira’s fans might still see him fight this month. It would be interesting to see which fighter accepts a fight against Michel Pereira at such short notice.
I'm ready and super prepared to put on a show
Fumo Mix BB @ufc @UFCBrasil @UFCEurope @canalCombate @danawhite @espnmma pic.twitter.com/VrCVtej2oD— Michel Pereira ufc (@UfcPereira) January 8, 2022
Both Pereira and Salikhov fought one bout in the year 2021. While the former fighter is currently enjoying a three-fight winning streak, the latter has won five bouts in a row. So this would have been an awesome fight for spectators to watch.
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Moreover, this is not the first time Salikhov has withdrawn from a fight; it has happened a few times before as well. The fighter was supposed to face Santiago Ponzinibbio on January 16, 2021, but pulled out. Before that, he had also canceled a bout against Claudio Silva. It is believed that these bouts were canceled because of Salikhov’s health issues.
Who will fight against Michel Pereira?
Now that the fight is not happening, it would be interesting to see who steps up. Jack Della Maddalena seems a fine prospect. But reportedly, he and ‘Demolidor’ are managed by the same group and hence, this too seems unlikely. Randy Brown also seems like a great opponent.
Salikhov’s exit surely makes things tricky for the promotion. However, many would want to see Pereira fight. Hence, if the UFC can manage to find a great opponent for him, fans would surely be happy to tune in.
Pereira’s fights are exciting, memorable, and his style in the octagon is incredible. So viewers would surely not want to miss his fight regardless of who he faces on January 15.
Who do you think will replace Muslim Salikhov in the upcoming UFC Vegas 46 against Michel Pereira? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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