UFC 291: Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira Preview, Odds, Picks, Predictions

Stephen Thomson and Michel Pereira meet in one of the UFC 291 main card events. The two are on the opposite ends of their career. While Thomspon counts his remaining days in the UFC and MMA in general, Pereira is yet to hit his peak. Their styles inside the octagon are completely different as well, with Thompson’s discipline karate approach on one side and Pereira’s creativity and unpredictability on the other. Thomspon is defensive-minded, while Pereira wants to attack. As you can see, this is a contest between two different philosophies, and that’s why the opinions about the contest’s winner are divided. 

Preview

Stephen Thompson (-150) defeated Kevin Holland recently with a fourth-round TKO, propelling his name back into the elite echelon of the welterweight division. That win came in handy for the Wonderboy, who lost two in a row against Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, both in 2021. 

His record in the MMA is 17 wins, six losses, and one tie, with eight of his victories coming via knockout, one by submission, and eight after a decision. On the other end, he has one KO loss and five decision defeats. As you can see, Thompson is a very hard and durable fighter who knows to go to the distance without any problems. Karate and kickboxing are his primary techniques in the ring, and may we add that Thompson’s fights always have at least one highlight reel kick.

He holds wins over Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque, Jorge Masvidal, Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, etc. He is also a two-time welterweight title challenger, with him once posting a draw against Tyron Woodley and losing via majority decision next time. 

Michel Pereira (+150), or the Demolidor as the fans call him, has 29 years but already has 41 battles in his career, which is highly impressive. In his colorful career, Pereira had 28 wins and 11 losses, eight of the defeats coming via decision. The notable achievement was the title of the Serbian Battle Championship, which isn’t that famous, but did provide a couple of UFC fighters. 

Right now, the Brazilian rides a five-match winning streak, during which he defeated Zelim Imadael, Khaos Williams, Niko Price, Andre Fialho, and Santiago Ponzinibbio. These guys aren’t the elite of the welterweight division, but on the other hand, they present respectable opponents. 

Pereira has a very unique and untypical style inside the octagon. He often hits from unexpected positions or angles, or he simply has odd moves and feints before sending a shot. Physically, he is a beast, ready to go back and forth all day.

Prediction

Thomson isn’t bad regarding stamina and durability either. He knows to use his reach pretty well in keeping the distance, which protects him from takedowns and close attacks. Pereira, on the other hand, knows to eat a strong punch and keeps on going, and it will be very interesting to see who prevails here. When looking at the overall picture and the history the two had in the UFC, the most logical conclusion we have here is to bet on the fight going to the distance, with the current odds on that at -150. 

Pick: Fight going to the distance -150