Shara Magomedov showed plenty of resilience in his long-awaited return to the Octagon.
After spending a year on the sidelines, Magomedov overcame an early scare to earn a unanimous decision victory over Michel Pereira in the co-main event of UFC Baku.
The fight got off to a disastrous start for “Bullet”. After opening with a series of kicks, he was caught by a perfectly timed right hand from Pereira that sent him crashing to the canvas. The Brazilian followed him to the ground and spent much of the opening round in top position, unloading punches and controlling the action.
However, the Russian striker weathered the storm and began finding his rhythm in the second round, relying on his diverse kicking arsenal to chip away at Pereira. While neither man threw in high volume, Magomedov was the more active of the two, repeatedly targeting the legs and body while forcing “Demolidor” onto the back foot.
Pereira briefly threatened with a takedown and landed a few kicks of his own in the final round, but Magomedov’s activity once again proved to be the difference. “Bullet” mixed in body kicks, spinning attacks, and knees while consistently staying one step ahead in the striking exchanges.
After 15 competitive minutes, all three judges turned in 29-28 scorecards in favor of Magomedov, handing him a unanimous decision victory.
The win improves Shara Magomedov to 6-1 in the UFC and 17-1 overall. His lone professional defeat remains a unanimous decision loss to Michael “Venom” Page in February 2025.
