Watch Michel Pereira's insane finishing sequence of Ihor Potieria from every angle
Michel Pereira extended his winning streak to eight by submitting Ihor Potieria at UFC 301. As usual, Pereira gave fans a highlight for the ages by landing a back flip knee that only he uses frequently in the Octagon.
Potieria was clearly hit by the knee when he was grounded and Pereira was given the win after a discussion among the officials. Although the unconventional game plan is entertaining to watch, commentators highlighted that this could be a lesson for Pereria.
To check whether it was legal or not, Pereira's impactful knee was replayed quite a few times and we already have footage from different angles.
As expected, both fighters were aggressive from the get-go, and in an early exchange, Pereira landed a perfect jab that knocked Potieria down. This is when Pereira decides to go for a backflip instead of getting on top or waiting for Potieria to get up.
Usually, the back-flip knee doesn't land clean and leaves the fight as an entertaining highlight. However, this time, the knee rocked Potieria who was already hurt from the jab. This was followed by a flurry of punches to finish the fight from Pereira but Potieria still tried to get up.
In the process, Pereira caught Potieria in a guillotine to which the latter tapped in a few seconds.
The knee was as entertaining as it gets but the damage it did cannot be ignored. Illegal knees have always been monitored closely, and it wasn't long ago when Petr Yan lost his UFC bantamweight championship to Aljamain Sterling via DQ because he threw a knee on a grounded opponent.
After seeing it from different angles, fans have mixed opinions on Pereria's knee. While some purely see it as entertaining and part of Pereira's dynamic style, others think it is a clear disqualification as the knee could very well be the reason Potieria couldn't recover properly from the jab.
The criticism comes from fans of Pereira too, who've endorsed the fighter's flashy moves in the Octagon previously. He's been handed the win in front of the home crowd, but it wouldn't be a surprise if people go back to check this one's legality for a long time.
Another thing to consider is that whether Pereira's knee as intentional or not. Because this is one of the most unusual ways to hit a grounded opponent with a knee, it is hard for viewers to come to the same conclusion.
As for Pereira, he was hyped after the submission win and got constant cheers from the crowd. In his post-fight interview, the winner agreed to get in the Octagon with anyone whom the people wanted him to fight.