5 lower-ranked UFC fighters who always produce exciting fights in the octagon

#4. Michel Pereira – UFC welterweight contender

Michel Pereira has a tendency to throw wild, low-percentage strikes, making him a must-see attraction

It’s hard to gauge Michel Pereira right now. When he first came into the UFC, he quickly garnered a lot of hype due to his flashy style. After dishing out a brutal knockout to Danny Roberts in less than two minutes, it was hard not to be excited.

However, his next couple of fights – especially a loss to the unheralded Tristan Connelly – appeared to suggest that ‘Demolidor’ was more flash than substance. Since then, the Brazilian has tightened things up. He fights in somewhat of a smarter way and is now on a four-fight win streak.

Is he a title contender, then? To be honest, it’s hard to say. However, what certainly isn’t in question is the fact that he’s one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion to watch.

Even after switching his style to more of a controlled attack, Pereira is still willing to throw some seriously wild, low-percentage strikes. He’ll think nothing of throwing a spinning tornado kick or even attempting a backflip over his opponent’s guard, regardless of the dangers they pose to himself.

‘Demolidor’ has actually gone the distance in his last three wins, and usually that’d be a record of a fighter who is a more dull one to watch. However, that certainly isn’t the case with Pereira. Simply put, it’s impossible to take your eyes off the screen when the Brazilian is involved.

So, even if this new style fails to turn him into a title contender, Michel Pereira will remain one of the most exciting lower-ranked fighters to watch.

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#3. Marcos Rogerio de Lima – UFC heavyweight contender

Win or lose, Marcos Rogerio de Lima always produces wild fights to watch

Marcos Rogerio de Lima's recent victory over Ben Rothwell was a major breakthrough for the veteran of TUF Brazil 3. It was the first time since his move to the heavyweight division that he was able to put together two straight wins.

Prior to that, ‘Pezao’ had always alternated wins and losses in his trips to the octagon – the kind of form that would usually put a fighter in danger of losing their spot on the UFC roster altogether.

However, there’s never been any doubt that the promotion would keep the Brazilian around, purely because his wild style almost always makes for an exciting fight.

‘Pezao’ has been with the promotion since 2014, and in that time, he’s featured in a total of 13 bouts. Just two of those fights have gone the distance, and outside of that, every one of his bouts has featured some serious violence.

Sure, the Brazilian is a very limited fighter, particularly on the ground. All five of his defeats in the octagon have come via submission. However, every time he fights, de Lima swings for the fences, and his heavy hands mean that he’s highly dangerous. This was evident when he knocked out the iron-chinned Rothwell in just 32 seconds.

Essentially, ‘Pezao’ is the very definition of a glass cannon and judging by his fighting style, he makes no attempt to hide the fact. That’s why he’s definitely one of the most exciting UFC fighters to watch right now.