Michel Prazeres returning home for crossroads bout at UFC Fight Night 38

NATAL, Brazil – Michel Prazeres had to leave Brazil to earn his first UFC win. But with the promotion returning to his native country, “Tractor” is happy to be fighting on familiar soil.

“It will be a joy to be able to fight in the UFC, in front of my friends, on the main card,” Prazeres told MMAjunkie in his native Portuguese. “I’d rather win at home. I’m looking to put on a show.”

Prazeres made his UFC debut this past May, coming in on short notice to fight a heavily favored welterweight Paulo Thiago. While the situation wasn’t necessarily ideal, the matchup was intriguing, as like Thiago, Prazeres also works in law enforcement as a Para State military police officer.

“I’m a military policeman, and fighting is bringing good things to my life, too,” Prazeres said. “Like Paulo Thiago, I take the occasional vacation from police work so I can do my training camps. I like the way my life is right now.”

Things didn’t work out in his favor against Thiago, and Prazeres suffered the first loss of his professional career when judges awarded his opponent a unanimous decision. It was a disappointing moment, to be sure, but one which the 30-year-old says served as a valuable lesson.

“To lose my UFC debut was upsetting,” Prazeres admitted. “Ultimately, you have to accept the judges’ opinions. All I could do it go back to training so I could do better next time.

“I was definitely nervous. Also, I was booked at the last minute. That didn’t help.”

In his next outing, the 5-foot-7 Prazeres made the move to the lightweight division, traveling to Canada to face Jesse Ronson in his native country. This time it was Ronson who stepped in on short notice, fighting hard but falling short via split decision.

Prazeres admitted the move to 155 pounds was taxing but was happy with his performance.

“Jesse Ronson is a good striker,” Prazeres said. “He’s also very strong. It was tough because I was dropping down in weight, but I’m well adjusted to 155 pounds now. I’m ready to fight.”

On Sunday night, Prazeres (17-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns to action when he meets Chechen-born Austrian resident Mairbek Taisumov (21-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the FOX Sports 1-broadcast main card of “UFC Fight Night 38: Shogun vs. Henderson 2,” which takes place at Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Taisumov is just two months removed from his impressive UFC debut, a convincing decision win over Tae Hyun Bang at the TUF China Finale. Taisumov is a sizable favorite according to oddsmakers, but Prazeres believes he’s prepared for the matchup.

“I’ve studied Mairbek well,” Prazeres said. “He’s very talented. I expected he would be the favorite. But I am confident in my game, in my work. I expect to have a great fight with him.”

Sunday’s fight is a key moment in Prazeres’ UFC career. A winning record is a must to maintain a roster spot in the sport’s biggest promotion. And while a dip to 1-2 in three UFC appearances wouldn’t necessarily spell the end of his time in the octagon, 2-1 offers a different world of opportunities.

Prazeres looks forward to his chance to again fight in front of a friendly crowd.

“I wouldn’t say I quite feel at home here yet, but I do feel a great sense of accomplishment, and I know that fighting in the UFC is a very positive thing,” Prazeres said. “Plus I’m very happy to fight in my homeland.”

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 38, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.