What’s next for Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira after UFC Vegas 99?

The UFC remained in the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 99 on Saturday with ranked middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira throwing down.

In the main event, Hernandez and Pereira were both headlining for the first time in a pivotal middleweight scrap. Hernandez was coming off a submission win over Roman Kopylov and was on a four-fight winning streak. Pereira, meanwhile, was riding an eight-fight winning streak.

In the end, it was Hernandez who won by fifth-round TKO. His pace and pressure eventually broke Pereira to lead to the win. Following UFC Vegas 99, here is what I think should be next for both fighters involved in the main event.

Anthony Hernandez

Anthony Hernandez picked up the biggest win of his career as he dominated Michel Pereira en route to a stoppage win. Hernandez is known for his relentless pace and pressure and over five rounds, it really showed.

Hernandez is a true dark horse in the middleweight as he can break down anyone over five rounds. Although he isn’t the biggest name in the division, he should get a big name next and possibly another main event. Ultimately, a matchup against Jared Cannonier makes sense for Hernandez.

It’s a tough test for Hernandez but if he wins, he could be a win away from a title shot. Cannonier, meanwhile, gets a chance to derail some hype and prove he’s still a top-five middleweight.

Michel Pereira

Michel Pereira suffered a TKO loss at Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vegas 99 to snap his winning streak. Pereira had success in the first round, but Hernandez’s pressure became too much as Pereira couldn’t deal with it.

The Brazilian is still a top-15 ranked middleweight and should still get a big fight next, despite the loss. A logical next bout is against the winner of Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan this Saturday as the winner of that fight deserves a ranked opponent.