UFC books 2 hulking Brazilians against Russian foes at UFC Baku in June

The UFC confirmed two middleweight bouts for UFC Baku on June 27 at Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan, signaling matchups with ranking stakes. The headliner pits Michel Pereira (32-14, 2 NC) against Sharabutdin "Shara Bullet" Magomedov (16-1) at 185 pounds at UFC Baku. The second booking features Brunno "The Hulk" Ferreira (15-3) vs Ikram Aliskerov (17-2), extending the Brazil vs Russia theme. Pereira snapped a three-fight skid by split decision over Zachary Reese at UFC Houston in February. Magomedov rebounded from his first loss, to Michael Page, with a July 2025 decision over Marc-Andre Barriault after 16 straight wins. Ferreira fell to Gregory Rodrigues in March. Aliskerov is on two straight, including Andre Muniz and Jun Yong Park.