The co-main event at UFC Baku on Saturday had no love lost between middleweights Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira.
Shara “Bullet” was competing for the first time in a year, and had ruffled Pereira’s feathers by making comments about his charitable efforts at home in Brazil, claiming he was “chasing likes,” and over his support for Israel.
Pereira, meanwhile, had called Shara a “conventional” fighter ahead of the bout.
Shara opened the action with a kick, and another, catching the outside leg of Pereira. Pereira’s first real offense, a right hand, dropped Shara Bullet, however, and he piled on the offense, raining down punches. The ref allowed Magomedov to fight on, a stark contrast from a fight earlier when Nazim Sadykhov went down quick.
Pereira continued to drop punches but Magomedov recovered enough to fire a few upkicks before “Demolidor” got right on top. Shara was then warned for hair pulling, and the action was stopped a second time for a harsher warning by ref Herb Dean. They got back underway with Pereira still on top, now in Magomedov’s closed guard. Pereira looked to land elbows, ripping the body at times as well. The crowd chanted “Shara” but the action was all Pereira. Towards the end of the round Pereira would back off, evade a few upkicks, and nearly take the back, though it backfired, with Magomedov getting on top in the final minute. Not enough to win back the round, but perhaps enough to stave off a 10-8.
Before the second frame got underway, ref Dean gave Shara Bullet another warning about hair pulling, and all fouls, with his translator present. Magomedov came out kicking again; Pereira fired a Superman punch off the cage. Magomedov went high with a kick, which was blocked, but he did land a few to the thigh, with Pereira answering back with kicks of his own. Neither man was letting their hands go, until Pereira closed the distance just shy of two minutes in. Magomedov was still focusing on his kicks. Pereira fired a right, and Magomedov fanned on a spinning back fist. Bullet attacked with a spinning kick late in the round, with a second boasting far less action that the first and Pereira finishing with a rolling thunder kick.
Pereira’s corner told him it was 1-1 heading into the third.
Magomedov opened the third round with more kicks, while Pereira circled outside, reset, and looked for a way in. Pereira would choose to shoot a takedown, nearly find himself reversed, and pull free, only to eat a blatant eye poke from Magomedov. Dean had previously told Shara Bullet not to commit any more fouls, hair pulling or otherwise. Yet he failed to take a point, and Pereira took just over a minute to recover from the poke.
With action back underway, Pereira fired a few outside leg kicks. He fired a right hand, and went to the body, briefly letting go as Shara covered up. Magomedov landed a solid kick to the body. He then tried the double-spinning back fist, and jumped into a knee, with Pereira trying to catch him and transition into a takedown. After a quick scramble, Pereira pinned Magomedov up against the fence. Magomedov landed a knee to the body off the break which forced Pereira to retreat, which would take them to the final horn.
Official Result: Shara Bullet def. Michel Pereira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
