Michel celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Michel Pereira has no complaints about his time at the Ultimate. Last Tuesday (14), the 'flying Paraense' surprised fans with his dismissal from the world's largest MMA organization. Even with the negative outcome in his last appearance in the octagon, marked by a controversial defeat, the Brazilian made a point of showing gratitude for the journey he built in the company.
In a post on his Instagram stories, Michel Pereira emphasized that he only has positive feelings towards the UFC, highlighting that all his career achievements were attained through the organization and reinforcing his gratitude for the opportunity.
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"I only have gratitude in my heart for the UFC! Everything I have and have achieved is thanks to the UFC! Thank you," wrote Michel Pereira.
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.
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