UFC cuts Michel Pereira after one-fight deal expires following Baku loss to Shara Magomedov

Michel Pereira is no longer a UFC fighter after the promotion declined to re-sign him following his unanimous-decision loss to Shara “Bullet” Magomedov at UFC Baku on June 27. The Brazilian middleweight finishes his second stint with the organisation carrying a 10-6 record across two weight classes.

Pereira had already exhausted his previous multi-fight contract with a split-decision win over Zach Reese in February — a result that snapped a three-fight losing streak — but the UFC offered him only a single-fight deal to face Magomedov in Azerbaijan. With that bout now settled, his contract has expired and he has not been retained.

The 32-year-old has been vocal about his frustrations with the officiating in Baku. Pereira publicly criticised referee Herb Dean for issuing warnings but failing to deduct a point from Magomedov after two hair-pulls, and for not penalising an eye poke later in the contest. The judges scored the fight 29-28 across all three cards in favour of “Bullet”.

The departure marks a significant fall for a fighter who, at one stage, strung together eight consecutive victories inside the octagon. During that run, Pereira earned performance bonuses for first-round finishes of Ihor Potieria, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Andre Petroski within a seven-month stretch. His momentum stalled, however, when he dropped back-to-back-to-back decisions to Anthony Hernandez, Abus Magomedov, and Kyle Daukaus before the brief revival against Reese.

Pereira leaves the UFC having lost four of his last five appearances, with the Magomedov defeat confirming that the promotion was unwilling to extend his stay beyond the short-term arrangement they had offered him heading into Baku.