TLDR
- Zach Reese (10-2) will face Michel Pereira (31-14) at UFC Fight Night Houston on February 21, 2026
- Reese holds a 3-inch height advantage and 4-inch reach advantage over Pereira
- Pereira is the betting favorite at -145 odds despite losing 3 of his last 5 fights
- Reese has won his last two fights and is looking to climb the UFC middleweight rankings
- The bout will air on Paramount+ as part of the main card at the Toyota Center
Sources: tapology.com | sports.betmgm.com
Zach Reese will face veteran Michel Pereira in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night Houston on February 21, 2026. The fight will take place at the Toyota Center as part of the main card.
Reese brings a 10-2 professional record into the matchup and is currently ranked 43rd in the UFC middleweight division. The 31-year-old from Shiner, Texas has won his last two fights heading into this contest.
Pereira holds a 31-14 professional record and sits at 34th in the UFC middleweight rankings. The 32-year-old Brazilian fighter has struggled recently, losing three of his last five bouts.
Physical Matchup and Fight Details
Reese holds a three-inch height advantage, standing 6’4″ compared to Pereira’s 6’1″ frame. The American fighter also brings a four-inch reach advantage at 77 inches versus Pereira’s 73-inch reach.
Both fighters have weighed in at different marks in recent bouts. Reese’s latest recorded weight was 194 pounds, while Pereira weighed 186 pounds at his most recent weigh-in.
Reese trains out of WAR Training Center in Texas. Pereira represents Scorpion Fighting System and fights out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The fall off of Michel Pereira needs to be studied.
Went from fighting in a main event against Anthony Hernandez to fighting Zach Reese pic.twitter.com/DmYFHXY6PG
— All Day MMA (@AllDayMMA365) January 8, 2026
Betting Odds and Community Predictions
The betting odds favor Pereira at -145, making him a slight favorite. Reese comes in as the underdog at +120 odds.
The Tapology community has registered over 3,100 predictions for this bout. Current picks show Reese leading with 55 percent of the community selections compared to 45 percent for Pereira.
The fight will be the ninth bout on a 14-fight card. The event is headlined by Sean Strickland versus Anthony Hernandez in the main event.
Other main card bouts include Geoff Neal versus Uros Medic at welterweight and Dan Ige versus Movsar Costa at featherweight. The card will stream on Paramount+ starting at 5:00 PM ET.
Reese enters the bout looking to extend his winning streak and climb the middleweight rankings. Pereira aims to snap his recent losing skid and prove he still belongs among the division’s top contenders.
The UFC Fight Night Houston event marks the organization’s return to Texas. The Toyota Center will host the promotion for this February card featuring multiple weight classes across the fight card.
