Overview
- Shara Magomedov beat Michel Pereira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the co-main event at UFC Baku on Saturday.
- Magomedov was dropped early and absorbed heavy ground-and-pound before rallying to secure rounds on the judges’ cards.
- Referee Herb Dean issued multiple warnings to Magomedov for hair pulling during the fight and action was briefly halted in the third round after an inadvertent eye poke that left Pereira able to continue.
- Magomedov fights with a glass eye after losing vision in one eye following a Muay Thai sparring injury and multiple surgeries, a medical history that has helped him compete in places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE but led some commissions to hesitate to license him.
- The win boosts Magomedov’s momentum inside the Octagon, but persistent licensing barriers mean his ability to take higher-profile or widely held international cards may remain constrained.