While multiple outlets recently confirmed that Michel Pereira was set to take on Roman Dolidze in a middleweight clash on the UFC on ESPN 57 card on June 8, “Demolidor” recently took to Instagram to clarify that he’d never agreed to the matchup.
According to the Brazilian, taking a fight against his training partner and “friend” on a month’s notice seemed impossible, not only because of their camaraderie but also because of the logistical problem of finding a different gym to train in such a short time.
“I didn’t accept that fight, OK?” Pereira said on his Instagram stories (translation via AgFight). “That man, he trains with me every day. He trains with me at UFC P.I. He trains at Xtreme Couture and he fights. Got it? He accepted and I didn’t. For me, now is not the time to fight him. If he accepted, that’s his problem. I was even surprised when he accepted. I didn’t accept this fight, OK? Got it? I said if it was someone else I would take it. But as it is with him, now is not the time for me to fight him yet. Because for me, he was my friend, my training partner, for me, in my head. But I saw then that’s it’s not... Since we train together, I’d have to look for another gym to train at. I’d have to organize myself to do a fight with him.”
Following Pereira's revelation, Dolidze also took to social media to give his side of the story.
“Yes, we train together. I was told that he agreed to fight in June 8 (not June 1 when I was originally supposed to fight ) and UFC ask me to change date,” Dolidze wrote. “Yesterday they send me contract. If they ask me to change date (which he asked for) and he agree of course I signed contract.”
The Georgian is admittedly ready to take on his training partner inside the Octagon but was quick to label the entire debacle a “misunderstanding” while replying to a comment on his initial post.
“I don’t blame him, he is a good person, good fighter. It’s just some misunderstanding,” Dolidze added. “I was told he [accepted] the fight and asked to change the date. I asking to fight Caio [Borralho], but he is injured.”
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