Makhmudov and Pereira Spark Tension at UFC Baku Face-Off

Tensions flared at the UFC Baku weigh-ins and face-offs on Saturday night, ahead of the fights scheduled for Sunday evening, with live coverage on 5LIVE from 19:00. After both men made weight successfully, Michel Pereira and Sharabutdin Makhmudov came face to face on stage in Azerbaijan and immediately clashed.

According to the report, Makhmudov moved too close to Pereira, then grabbed him by the neck, prompting shoves before UFC staff quickly separated them. The confrontation was not isolated, because Makhmudov had already inflamed the matchup in a pre-fight interview with Red Corner MMA.

In that interview, Makhmudov attacked Pereira for displaying an Israeli flag after one of his previous fights. He called Pereira a “hypocrite,” accusing him of supporting Israel, which he described as having committed “genocide in Gaza,” and saying Pereira only wanted Instagram likes. Makhmudov also mocked Pereira for helping rescue dogs after floods in Brazil, saying he should have helped in Dagestan instead.

The article says Pereira’s flag display was meant as support for Israel and followed a promise he had made to his training partner, Shimon Smotritsky. It also notes that the fight Makhmudov referenced took place just one week after October 7. The piece ends by expressing hope that the result in the cage will be more pleasant than the face-off.