Michel Pereira has booked his first fight since his UFC run ended. The Brazilian will headline Z-Fight Night 5 against In-soo Hwang in a middleweight bout on December 19, 2026 in South Korea, according to Sherdog's event listing and reports from Bloody Elbow and AgentMMA on November 2.
What was announced
Sherdog lists Hwang vs. Pereira as the main event of ZFN 5, a middleweight fight, on December 19 in South Korea. Sherdog lists Hwang at 9-2 and Pereira, nicknamed "Demolidor", at 32-15. Z-Fight Night is the promotion owned by Chan Sung Jung, known as "The Korean Zombie". According to AgentMMA, the promotion announced the fight on November 2 and the event will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.
The signing had been reported earlier. Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana first reported it on X on October 27, and MK Sports then reported the Hwang matchup, according to MMA News. Those early reports are now backed by the official announcement.
Pereira after the UFC
Pereira's last UFC fight was a unanimous decision loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov on June 27, 2026 at UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres, according to Pugna MMA's data. Bloody Elbow reports that Pereira has argued that bout was "compromised" by referee Herb Dean, and that Magomedov pulled his hair during the fight. Those are Pereira's claims.
Before that, Pereira beat Zachary Reese by decision on February 21, 2026. Our data shows the two losses before that came to Kyle Daukaus by first-round knockout in August 2025 and to Abusupiyan Magomedov by decision in April 2025. Across his recent run he has one win in his last five, according to MMA News. Reese, for his part, beat Mickey Gall by decision on October 31.
Pereira built his name as a flashy, athletic finisher, and his record in our database shows 11 wins by knockout or technical knockout and nine by submission. Before the UFC he fought in Asia, including for Road FC.
Who is In-soo Hwang
Hwang appeared on Dana White's Contender Series in 2025. Our data shows he lost a decision to Paddy McCorry on September 16, 2025 (DWCS 9: Week 6), a result that, according to AgentMMA, cost him a UFC contract. MK Sports describes him as a former Road FC middleweight champion, and MMA News reports that seven of his nine pro wins came by knockout.
What comes next
The fight is the first booked bout for Pereira outside the UFC. No other bouts on the ZFN 5 card were listed on the Sherdog page at the time of writing. Further details, such as the venue and the rest of the card, should follow from the promotion.
Sources
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