Middleweights clash at ZFN 05 on Dec. 19; Pereira returns to Korea for first time in 7 years
South Korean middleweight contender Hwang In-su, 32, is making what could be a final push toward the UFC, with his next opponent set to be Michel Pereira, 33, a Brazilian veteran who went 10-6 inside the octagon.
ZFN representative Jung Chan-sung announced Monday via the organization's YouTube channel that Hwang and Pereira will meet at "ZFN 05 Gungjung Janchi: TAL" on Dec. 19. The middleweight bout will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC's official streaming platform.
Jung said the fight could be Hwang's last opportunity to earn a UFC contract, adding that the organization had already given him multiple chances and felt it could not keep pushing indefinitely.
A loss would effectively end Hwang's UFC ambitions, but even a victory would not guarantee a contract. The UFC is expected to evaluate his performance alongside his Fight Pass numbers and overall marketability before deciding whether to sign him.
Hwang holds a professional MMA record of 9 wins and 2 losses and is a former Road FC middleweight champion. Known for his powerful striking, he has developed into one of South Korea's top fighters and has pursued a UFC deal with ZFN's full backing. His bid stalled last September, however, when he lost a decision to Paddy McCormack of Ireland on Dana White's Contender Series, the UFC's fighter-recruitment program.
Hwang returned to the domestic circuit and rebuilt his momentum in May at a ZFN event, stopping Alex Polizzi — a veteran of both Bellator and PFL — by TKO in the third round.
Pereira represents a significant step up from anyone Hwang has faced before. The Brazilian carries a professional record of 32 wins, 15 losses and 2 no-contests. Since joining the UFC in 2019, he went 10-6 across 16 bouts at welterweight and middleweight, at one point riding an eight-fight winning streak that lifted him into the middleweight rankings.
Pereira has gone 1-4 in his last five UFC outings, but his experience against world-class competition still commands respect. His final UFC appearance, in June, ended in a controversial decision loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov of Russia amid a dispute over a hair-pulling foul. Pereira has since left the UFC and been searching for a new home.
The Korean scene is not unfamiliar territory for Pereira. Before his UFC run, he competed in Road FC three times in 2018 and 2019, finishing all three opponents — Yang Hae-jun, Choi Won-jun and Kim Dae-sung — by KO or TKO, leaving a strong impression on local fans.
The fight carries real stakes for Pereira as well, and he is not expected to take it lightly. With this being his first bout since leaving the UFC, he will need to prove he still belongs among the world's elite. Jung noted that Pereira is eyeing a return to the UFC and has every reason to put on a convincing performance.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
