Overview
- MMA Fighting reported on July 14 that Michel Pereira was removed from the UFC roster after losing a one‑fight contract return to Shara Magomedov at UFC Baku.
- Pereira’s defeat featured repeated fouls that went unpenalized on the scorecards, including visible hair pulls and an eye poke that referee Herb Dean warned about but did not dock a point for.
- After the fight Pereira posted video clips and a public complaint saying repeated warnings without penalties compromised the result and the integrity of the contest.
- Fellow fighter Alex Pereira publicly condemned the UFC’s decision to cut Michel and blamed poor officiating for influencing the outcome that affected his roster status.
- State athletic commissions, not the UFC, control referee assignments and discipline, no commission action has been reported, and Pereira is now a free agent expected to draw interest from other promotions.