Overview
- The UFC Baku co‑main on Saturday, June 27 ended with Shara Magomedov beating Michel Pereira by unanimous decision (29-28 x3) after repeated hair pulls and an eye poke were met with warnings but no point deductions.
- Referee Herb Dean warned Magomedov for grabbing Pereira’s hair, stopped the action for an eye poke, and did not deduct any points, a choice that media analysts and fighters said likely changed the result to Pereira’s detriment.
- Alex Pereira posted a public petition calling for Dean’s removal, labeled the referee a “coward,” and said he is exploring an appeal to athletic commissions, with other high‑profile fighters such as Tom Aspinall joining the public criticism.
- The Baku dispute follows similar recent complaints about Dean’s calls, including contested back‑of‑head strikes at UFC Freedom 250 and a disputed sequence at UFC Vegas 119, creating a pattern of scrutiny over his in‑cage discretion.
- Under the Unified Rules referees have on‑site authority to warn or deduct points and state commissions handle appeals and any changes to results, so the next likely steps are formal complaints to commissions and possible review of referee assignments.