Michel Pereira not interested in rematching “coward” Diego Sanchez

UFC star Michel Pereira isn’t interested in a rematch with former opponent and UFC veteran Diego Sanchez.

Pereira returned to the Octagon this past weekend with an incredible performance against Zelim Imadaev, ending with him submitting the Russian in the third and final round. It was the first time Pereira fought since his controversial disqualification loss to the aforementioned Sanchez in February.

While some fans would like to see the two run it back, Pereira isn’t of the belief that he needs to do so.

“The knee strike that cut him was one I threw before, not the illegal one, and what he did was – he was a coward, he used the rules, he used what happened to win the fight,” Pereira said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “He didn’t win in an honorable way. Someone that isn’t man enough in a moment like that doesn’t have my respect.”

“Diego Sanchez is in the past,” Pereira continued. “It wouldn’t add anything to my career. To me, I won the fight, I outclassed him. I respect his name and his history inside the UFC, but, about that fight, he’s not on my level. He’s not an athlete I would like to face again because he wouldn’t challenge me to fight better and put on a better show.”

“I saw I was way ahead of him in terms of technique and cardio despite his experience and name,” Pereira added. “I saw I was way ahead of him, but he lost face with me when he ran from the fight.”

Prior to these comments, Sanchez praised Pereira whilst also patting himself on the back, too.

“With all the current praise on my last opponent I’ll be the first to praise that he’s the fastest, strongest, most explosive man I have ever faced! I expected him to fade in the third due to the 5500ft altitude and extreme weight cut, he didnt… up until the illegal knee to the head on the ground I didn’t have a scratch, bruise or cut everything was blended, blocked and guided away to minimize head trauma! Me and my coach received a ton of hate after the fight, now they have wrote me and my guru @joshuafabiaknowbody off ounce again! 3 weeks out from fight island @jakematthewsufc is -500 on the odds we are ready to make some magic happen! this Aussie ain’t no @michelpereiraufc I am very relaxed and confident ready! tune In to @ufc 253 as I flip the table on the game, it is not chess when all the pieces are on the floor”.

Does a rematch between Michel Pereira and Diego Sanchez interest you?