UFC Baku weigh-in turns tense after Magomedov's attack on Pereira

Ahead of UFC Baku, the card’s fighters completed the official weigh-ins and face-offs on Saturday night, with the event set for a live broadcast on 5LIVE starting at 19:00. One of the most heated staredowns came between Michel Pereira and Sharabutdin Magomedov, who both made weight successfully before meeting on stage in Azerbaijan.

The face-off escalated when Magomedov moved too close to Pereira and then grabbed him by the neck, prompting shoves and a quick intervention by UFC staff. The clash came after a week of growing tension around the fight.

In a pre-fight interview with Red Corner MMA, Magomedov attacked Pereira for supporting Israel. He called Pereira “a hypocrite,” saying that after the fight he waved an Israeli flag, which he described as backing “a state that committed genocide in Gaza.” He also mocked Pereira for later traveling to Brazil to help rescue dogs trapped in floods, accusing him of doing it for Instagram likes and saying it was a shame he did not help people during floods in Dagestan.

The article notes that Pereira’s flag gesture came in support of Israel and was made at the request of his training partner, Shimon Smotritsky. It also points out that the fight Magomedov referenced took place just a week after October 7. The bout is now set to take place on Sunday evening in Baku, with hopes that the result in the cage will be more memorable than the pre-fight confrontation.