Michel Pereira is no longer a UFC fighter. The Brazilian was removed from the Ultimate's roster of athletes this Tuesday (14) after his defeat against the Russian Shara Magomedov at UFC Baku , on June 27, in Azerbaijan. The information was released by journalist Guilherme Cruz, from the North American website MMA Fighting.
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According to the report, Michel Pereira 's contract with the UFC had already ended after the Brazilian defeated Zachary Reese by unanimous decision at UFC Houston in February. Following that, the organization signed a one-fight contract with the Brazilian athlete to face Shara Magomedov . With the controversial loss by unanimous decision, the UFC opted not to renew the agreement.
The controversial defeat in Michel Pereira's last fight.
Michel Pereira 's last fight in the UFC ended in controversy. The Brazilian started well against Shara Magomedov and even knocked the Russian down in the co-main event of UFC Baku . However, on the ground, the Russian pulled the Brazilian's hair on more than one occasion. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight to warn the Russian, but did not deduct points.
During the break between the first and second rounds, Herb Dean approached Shara and informed him that if the Russian committed any more fouls, he would be penalized. In the third round, however, Magomedov poked the Brazilian in the eye, and the referee did not deduct any points.
With the decision not to deduct points, Shara Magomedov defeated the Brazilian by unanimous decision of the judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Michel Pereira went so far as to blame Herb Dean for his defeat in a harsh post on Twitter.
“In MMA, there are rules. They need to be applied with the same rigor for everyone. Respecting the rules is protecting the integrity of the sport and ensuring fairness inside the octagon. My opponent was warned several times and was not punished. When the rule is ignored, the result is compromised,” Michel wrote on his social media.
Michel Pereira's time in the UFC has come to an end.
Michel Pereira , 32, ends his time in the UFC with a professional record of 32 wins and 15 losses, with 10 wins and six losses in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Michel made his UFC debut in May 2019, when he captivated the world by knocking out Danny Roberts . At the time, the Brazilian was extremely spectacular, with flashy strikes and somersaults never before seen inside the octagon. This performance earned Pereira the nickname 'Flying Paraense'.
Michael Pereira in his first UFC fight
Michel Pereira 's peak , however, came some time later. It was only from 2020 onwards, when the Brazilian strung together a series of victories and came close to the welterweight title (up to 77 kg). However, after failing to make weight to face Stephen Thompson at UFC 291 in July 2023, the fight was canceled. UFC management didn't like the cancellation and he was forced to move up to middleweight (up to 83,9 kg).
In the new weight class, Michel couldn't stay on top and alternated between wins and heavy losses. The Brazilian's time in the UFC ended with only one win in his last five fights, accumulating losses to Shara Magomedov , Kyle Daukaus , Abus Magomedov , and Anthony Hernandez.
At the time of publication, Michel Pereira had not yet commented on his dismissal from the UFC.
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