Pereira Pursues Appeal After UFC Baku Hair-Pulling Loss

Michel Pereira is pursuing a formal appeal of his loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov at UFC Baku, arguing that repeated illegal strikes went unpunished and altered the outcome of his UFC career.

Pereira dropped a unanimous decision to Magomedov in the co-main event, but the middleweight bout was overshadowed by multiple fouls. Magomedov pulled Pereira's hair from bottom position three times in the opening round, according to the Brazilian, and later landed an accidental eye poke in the third. Referee Herb Dean issued warnings but never deducted a point, per Sherdog.

What Pereira's Legal Challenge Could Mean For His UFC Exit

The loss was Pereira's last under contract, and the promotion opted not to renew his deal after he dropped four of his final five bouts. Pereira told Ignition Poker Brazil that a single point deduction would have produced a 28-28 draw on the scorecards, potentially changing his standing with the UFC. "I firmly believe that refereeing errors completely changed the outcome of my career," he said. "It frustrates me deeply because commissions and referees always lecture us on the rules backstage, but then they failed to enforce them when it mattered most."

Pereira is now consulting with his lawyer to seek a no-contest or draw ruling. He remains grateful for his time in the Octagon and says he holds no grudge against the promotion. "You'll never hear me bad mouthing them because they treated me well and I fulfilled my dream of fighting there," he said. "I pulled off techniques in that Octagon that nobody else will ever duplicate."

The Brazilian exits the UFC with a 32-15 record. No timeline has been announced for the appeal process or a potential ruling from the athletic commission that oversaw UFC Baku.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Michel Pereira aiming to appeal UFC Baku loss after hair-pulling controversy