UFC star Michel Pereira clears his stance on carrying Israel flag amid death threats
Michel Pereira recently opened up about his decision to walk out with the Israeli flag before his fight against Andre Petroski at UFC Vegas 81 last weekend. The Brazilian marked his middleweight debut against Petroski with a statement first-round knockout victory just 66 seconds into the fight.
Before the fight, Pereira walked out with an Israeli flag draped around him. Seemingly taking advantage of the UFC lifting the ban on fighters carrying flags out to the octagon, the Brazilian expressed his support for Israel amidst their ongoing conflict against Hamas forces.
Michel Pereira later explained that he felt strongly about the Israel-Palestine crisis due to his friends who lived in Israel and because some videos he saw of the ongoing war broke his heart. Later, 'Demolidor' claimed his wife was sent death threats on social media due to his actions.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Michel Pereira explained his decision to walk out with the Israeli flag. His words were translated by UFC ring girl Luciana Andrade, who said:
"I don't like wars, and unfortunately, I end up seeing videos of kids being hurt... It makes you think about what could happen, and war is not good for anybody... I didn't imagine it would get this [level of] repercussions. I was surprised. My intention was merely to show support... I've never been there, but I want to go to Israel and see the land and meet the people."
Catch Pereira's comments below (12:08):
Michel Pereira slams Stephen Thompson for refusing to fight at catchweight
Michel Pereira and Stephen Thompson were set to clash in a highly anticipated welterweight contest at UFC 291 in July. While Thompson successfully made weight, Pereira failed to do so. Despite numerous attempts at getting Thompson to accept the fight at catchweight, 'Wonderboy' refused, and the bout was scrapped.
In the aftermath, Thompson clashed with the UFC over pending pay and slammed Pereira for missing weight despite fighting as a professional at the highest levels of the sport. Pereira later moved up to middleweight and is seemingly eager to continue fighting at 185 pounds.
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Michel Pereira reflected on the canceled Stephen Thompson bout and said:
"I wanted to fight, of course. I was ready and prepared. I suffered a lot to lose weight for that fight, so obviously, I was upset. I thought he was a little coward. In my entire career, I never saw anything like that, but at the same time, he was within his rights."