Michel Pereira aiming to appeal UFC Baku loss after hair-pulling controversy
· Yahoo Sports
Michel
Pereira is looking to appeal his loss to Sharabutdin
Magomedov, which was followed by his release from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Pereira took on Magomedov in a middleweight bout in the co-main event of UFC Baku. While Magomedov came away with a unanimous decision win, the fight was marred by controversy. The Russian pulled Pereira’s hair multiple times from bottom position in the first round. While referee Herb Dean warned Magomedov against committing any more fouls, he didn’t deduct any points when “Shara Bullet” accidentally eye-poked Pereira in the third round.
Pereira subsequently wasn’t offered a contract renewal and the Brazilian is now looking to overturn his last result to a draw. He is grateful for his UFC career, holds nothing against the promotion and is proud of some of the memorable moments he delivered to fans inside the Octagon.
“Everything happened the way it happened and I'm very grateful,” Pereira told Ignition Poker Brazil. “You'll never hear me bad mouthing them because they treated me well and I fulfilled my dream of fighting there. I pulled off techniques in that Octagon that nobody else will ever duplicate.”
Pereira is consulting his lawyer to appeal the result of his fight against Magomedov. “Demolidor” notes that the bout would have ended in a draw if his opponent had been penalized for hair pulling. Pereira also believes that his career has taken multiple blows due to inconsistent officiating.
“However, I am still actively pushing behind the scenes with my lawyer to get the result of my last fight reviewed,” Pereira added. “It's one thing when an accidental eye poke or a low blow happens in the heat of a fight. But in my opinion, Shara pulled my hair three times. Herb Dean warned him but never deducted a point. Based on the scorecards, a single point deduction would have made the fight a 28-28 draw. I firmly believe that refereeing errors completely changed the outcome of my career. 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. I've had nearly fifty fights; I know the rules. Referees just need to do their jobs consistently.”
Pereira (32-15) exited the promotion having lost four of his last five bouts.
Pereira took on Magomedov in a middleweight bout in the co-main event of UFC Baku. While Magomedov came away with a unanimous decision win, the fight was marred by controversy. The Russian pulled Pereira’s hair multiple times from bottom position in the first round. While referee Herb Dean warned Magomedov against committing any more fouls, he didn’t deduct any points when “Shara Bullet” accidentally eye-poked Pereira in the third round.
Michel Pereira seeks overturned result after disputed UFC Baku fight with Sharabutdin Magomedov
Pereira subsequently wasn’t offered a contract renewal and the Brazilian is now looking to overturn his last result to a draw. He is grateful for his UFC career, holds nothing against the promotion and is proud of some of the memorable moments he delivered to fans inside the Octagon.
“Everything happened the way it happened and I'm very grateful,” Pereira told Ignition Poker Brazil. “You'll never hear me bad mouthing them because they treated me well and I fulfilled my dream of fighting there. I pulled off techniques in that Octagon that nobody else will ever duplicate.”
Pereira is consulting his lawyer to appeal the result of his fight against Magomedov. “Demolidor” notes that the bout would have ended in a draw if his opponent had been penalized for hair pulling. Pereira also believes that his career has taken multiple blows due to inconsistent officiating.
“However, I am still actively pushing behind the scenes with my lawyer to get the result of my last fight reviewed,” Pereira added. “It's one thing when an accidental eye poke or a low blow happens in the heat of a fight. But in my opinion, Shara pulled my hair three times. Herb Dean warned him but never deducted a point. Based on the scorecards, a single point deduction would have made the fight a 28-28 draw. I firmly believe that refereeing errors completely changed the outcome of my career. 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. I've had nearly fifty fights; I know the rules. Referees just need to do their jobs consistently.”
Pereira (32-15) exited the promotion having lost four of his last five bouts.
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