Shara Magomedov beats Michel Pereira at UFC Baku

Shara Magomedov beats Michel Pereira at UFC Baku

Shara Magomedov secured a hard-fought victory over Michel Pereira on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at UFC Baku. Fighting in the Middleweight division, Magomedov earned a unanimous decision win with judges scoring the bout 29-28 across all three scorecards.

The co-main event took place inside the National Gymnastics Arena (also referred to as Baku Crystal Hall) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Both fighters entered the contest coming off wins, though they were described as needing more progress to become significant factors in the Middleweight division.

The fight began with high intensity in the first round. Pereira managed to drop Magomedov with a straight right hand and landed several subsequent shots that left Magomedov bloodied. Magomedov utilized upkicks to create space and recover. The action was briefly paused when Magomedov received a warning for holding onto Pereira’s ponytail. Following the restart, Pereira established a rhythm with ground and pound and attempted to take the back, but he slipped off and ended the round on the bottom.

Magomedov shifted the momentum in the second round, employing teeps to the knee and side kicks to the body. Pereira remained passive, sitting back in search of a single big shot. This approach resulted in limited action, allowing Magomedov to even the score.

The third round mirrored the cautious nature of the second. Pereira continued to seek a perfect single strike and later attempted a takedown that Magomedov stuffed. During the exchange, Pereira caught a finger in the eye, leading to another restart. While both men engaged in exchanges to secure the win, Pereira’s efforts were met with a flying knee attempt from Magomedov. Though the knee did not connect, the exchange ended with Pereira pressing Magomedov against the fence. Magomedov landed a knee to the body upon the break and pursued Pereira toward the center of the cage. Magomedov's higher activity level and desire ultimately earned him the decision.

Main Event and Card Results

The event's main event featured Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres in a lightweight showdown. Fiziev, an Azerbaijani-rooted fighter who trains in Thailand and Florida, entered the bout having lost four of his last five UFC contests. Torres, a Mexican fighter who had finished all five of his UFC wins in the first round, was making his main-event debut.

Fiziev returned to victory by sending Torres down with a spinning wheel kick. Fiziev maintained pressure until referee Marc Goddard waved the fight off, resulting in a victory for Fiziev.

Other results from the main card included:

• Matheus Camilo defeated Nazim Sadykhov via TKO (punches) at 1:31 of round 1.
• Asu Almabayev defeated Charles Johnson via submission (Suloev’s stretch) at 3:33 of round 3.
• Ikram Aliskerov defeated Brunno Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
• Abus Magomedov defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission (guillotine) at 3:25 of round 1.

Preliminary Card Action

The preliminary card featured several quick finishes. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev recorded a TKO victory over Julius Walker in just 0:08 of the first round. Nursulton Ruziboev defeated Andrey Pulyaev via technical submission (rear naked choke) at 3:58 of round 1.

In other preliminary bouts, Farman Hasanov earned a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) over Eric Nolan, a victory highlighted by Hasanov scoring nine takedowns in the first round. Kaan Ofli defeated Javier Reyes via submission (arm triangle) at 4:16 of round 1, while Daniil Donchenko won by TKO (head kick and punches) at 1:35 of round 2 against Theodor Berggren.

Jean Matsumoto defeated Bekzat Almakhan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), recovering from a first-round knockdown and a second-round cut. The final preliminary fight saw Tahir Abdullayev defeat Jefferson Nascimento via TKO (ground and pound) at 4:28 of round 3, a finish described as a controversial and early stoppage for the hometown fighter.