UFC Reportedly Parts Ways With Fan Favorite After 16 Fights & 7 Post-Fight Bonuses

"Demolidor" went 1-4 across his last five outings.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A fighter that was long considered to be one of the promotion’s more entertaining names has reportedly been cut from the UFC roster.

The UFC took a rare break over the Fourth of July weekend before returning last week with its annual International Fight Week, which closed out with a stacked UFC 329 card that was headlined by the return of former two-division titleholder Conor McGregor.

The action-packed event saw 11 out of 14 scheduled fights end inside the distance, although things unfortunately came to an anticlimactic conclusion when a knee injury ended McGregor's return fight against Max Holloway after just 69 seconds.

UFC Reportedly Parts Ways With Michel Pereira After UFC Baku Loss

Many fans are still sorting through the fallout of McGregor’s failed comeback and a number of other significant results at UFC 329, but this week also featured some major news in the form of the UFC parting ways with a notable name.

Conor McGregor on the ground during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Guilherme Cruz, Michel Pereira is no longer a member of the UFC roster following his loss to Shara Magomedov at UFC Baku last month.

Michel Pereira (red gloves) prepares to fight Abus Magomedov (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As noted by Cruz, Pereira apparently signed a one-fight deal to meet Magomedov, and the UFC presumably elected not to offer him a new contract after he dropped a unanimous decision to “Bullet” in the UFC Baku co-main event.

Michel Pereira Won Seven Post-Fight Bonuses During UFC Run

The UFC’s decision to part ways with Pereira doesn’t come as a massive shock based on his recent results, but it wasn’t that long ago that the Brazilian was considered to be one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the UFC roster.

“Demolidor” joined the promotion in 2019 and immediately introduced himself to UFC fans with a first-round knockout of Danny Roberts that earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus.

Michel Pereira reacts after defeating Michal Oleksiejczuk (not shown) during UFC 299 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pereira secured another post-fight bonus in a losing effort to Tristan Connelly before he was disqualified for landing an illegal knee on Diego Sanchez, but those back-to-back losses would be the only setbacks he suffered for more than four years.

Michel Pereira (red gloves) fights Ihor Potieria (blue gloves) during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Beginning with a third-round submission of Zelim Imadaev (for which earned another “Performance of the Night” bonus), Pereira went on to win eight-straight fights between September 2020 and May 2024.

"Demolidor" Moved to Middleweight After UFC 291 Weight Miss

The 32-year-old famously missed weight before a scheduled welterweight bout with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 291 and made the move up to middleweight, where he extended his post-fight bonus streak to four and collected the final three victories of that eight-fight win streak.

Michel Pereira (red gloves) fights Abus Magomedov (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A main event opportunity against Anthony Hernandez in late 2024 saw Hernandez stop Pereira during the final round, and follow-up losses to Abus Magomedov and Kyle Daukaus in 2025 left the Brazilian on a three-fight skid.

Zachary Reese (red gloves) fights Michel Pereira (blue gloves) in a middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pereira returned to the win column in February when he took a split decision over Zach Reese, but the loss to Magomedov at UFC Baku left him on a 1-4 run across his last five fights and brought his overall UFC record to 10-6.