Michel Pereira hits back at Shara Magomedov's coach Gor Azizyan after UFC Baku foul debacle
Michel Pereira has reacted to the criticism from Shara Magomedov's coach Gor Azizyan after their UFC Baku fight.
Michel Pereira has put forth his response to the criticism he's faced from Shara Magomedov's coach, Gor Azizyan, after UFC Baku.
Azizyan is a prominent MMA trainer based in Russia, who's known for coaching the likes of Magomedov, Valter Walker, Bogdan Guskov, and other UFC staples.
Brazil's Pereira fought Dagestan's Magomedov in a three-round middleweight showdown, which co-headlined the UFC Baku fight card in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, June 27.
While their professional MMA matchup is done with, the intense rivalry between Pereira and Magomedov seems to be far from over.
UFC Baku foul debacle -- Gor Azizyan jibes at Michel Pereira, "Demolidor" fires back
Despite suffering a knockdown in the first round at the hands of Michel Pereira, Shara Magomedov managed to rally and outpoint his rival. The three official judges each scored the matchup as 29-28 for Magomedov, thereby handing him a unanimous decision victory in the 185-pound grudge match.
Nevertheless, the fight was fraught with controversy. Many fans and experts pointed out that Magomedov committed multiple fouls despite being warned by Referee Herb Dean, who officiated the fight.
Coincidentally, Dean has been embroiled in a few controversies of his own in recent weeks. The veteran referee has been called out by Alex Pereira, Andre Fili, as well as many others in the MMA community for his alleged inaction against fouling fighters inside the octagon.
The UFC Baku co-headlining match witnessed Shara Magomedov pull Michel Pereira's hair around two to three times. Additionally, "Shara Bullet" also landed an eye poke on him.
While Dean warned Magomedov, there was no point deduction in spite of the repeated fouls. Pereira subsequently reprehended Dean for what he suggested was not optimally enforcing the rules and endangering the sport's integrity.
That aside, Magomedov's head coach, Gor Azizyan, later took to social media and alluded to Pereira's penchant for pulling off jumping and flying striking maneuvers against grounded opponents in the past.
Azizyan wrote, "This guy won twice by falling onto his opponent's b*lls and then onto his head, and you want to fight him clean?"
Not one to be outdone, Pereira fired back by writing the following in an X post: "Fighting with honor is worth more than winning at any cost. Oss!"
Check out Michel Pereira's X post targeting Shara Magomedov and Gor Azizyan below:
Lutar com honra vale mais do que vencer a qualquer custo. Oss! 🥋
— Michel “Demolidor” Pereira (@UfcPereira) June 28, 2026
Fighting with honor is worth more than winning at any cost. Oss!#ufcbaku pic.twitter.com/BjbcoXOmzT
Shara Magomedov still has his sights set on UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, while Michel Pereira looks to rebuild
Heading into UFC Baku, the Shara Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira feud reached a crescendo when Magomedov derided Pereira and the latter's training partner, UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
Magomedov castigated Pereira for his public display of support for Israel in the long-running Israel-Palestine conflict, with the Dagestani fighter being a staunch supporter of Palestine.
Moreover, the Muay Thai and Lethwei veteran insinuated that Strickland wasn't a championship-caliber fighter, albeit whilst acknowledging the American as a hard worker. Magomedov has also reaffirmed that he'll fight Strickland and capture UFC gold someday.
On the other hand, Pereira seems even farther from the UFC middleweight championship picture. He's lost four of his past five octagon appearances. Regardless, "Demolidor" has indicated that he'll continue rebuilding his momentum and reestablish himself as a force to be reckoned with at middleweight.
