Michel Pereira's Korea Return Could Give Hwang In-su His Biggest Test Yet
Michel Pereira is reportedly joining ZFN, with Hwang In-su linked to a December matchup that could test the Korean middleweight's UFC ambitions.
For Michel Pereira, leaving the UFC may mean returning to a country where his career first gathered momentum. Brazilian reporter Laerte Viana's report on Tuesday said the former middleweight had signed with Z-Fight Night (ZFN); a day later, Herald Business linked him to Hwang In-su for December 19. Neither Pereira nor ZFN has confirmed the move or fight.
Pereira's Road Back to Korea Began Before the UFC
South Korea was more than a stop on Pereira's way to the UFC. Across three Road FC appearances between July 2018 and February 2019, he stopped Yang Hae-jun, knocked out Won Jun Choi in 41 seconds, and finished Dae Sung Kim with knees in the second round. Those wins came before he made the leap to the UFC.
He announced himself in the UFC in May 2019, stopping Danny Roberts with a flying knee and punches 1:47 into round one. Pereira later put together an eight-fight winning streak that carried him into the middleweight rankings. His final appearance ended in a unanimous-decision loss to Shara Magomedov on June 27.
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Hwang In-su's Own UFC Ambition Gives the Reported Matchup Another Dimension
Hwang's path has been less direct. The former Road FC middleweight champion took his shot at the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series in September 2025, but Paddy McCorry won a unanimous decision after three rounds. Hwang was left to pursue another route towards the promotion.
He returned to winning form at ZFN 04 in May, stopping Alex Polizzi by TKO at 2:02 of the third round. The victory moved him to 9-2, with seven wins by knockout or technical knockout, and marked his first fight since the McCorry loss.
That is the appeal of the reported bout. Pereira's UFC experience would give Hwang a different measure of his progress than another domestic matchup. Hwang has shown he can finish opponents at ZFN, but facing a former UFC middleweight would test him against a different level of opposition. A win could strengthen his case for another opportunity, though a UFC return is not guaranteed.
Pereira would return to the scene where his career first gained traction; Hwang would be trying to turn his home promotion into a springboard. If confirmed, the bout would put one fighter at the start of his post-UFC chapter against another still chasing that destination. Until ZFN announces it, the matchup remains a possibility.
