Better to be safe than sorry …
No. 14-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Shamil Gaziev suffered a second-round knockout loss to surging Australian slugger Brando Pericic on the UFC Perth main card yesterday (Sat., May 2, 2026) inside RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia (watch highlights).
Despite the setback, both Heavyweights walked away with $100,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses for their violent, back-and-forth war.
Immediately after the loss, company officials confirmed to
MMAmania.com that Gaziev was transported to the local hospital for a precautionary CT scan of his head and face.
Gaziev (14-3) has now dropped two straight — both via stoppage — and falls to 3-3 inside the Octagon. The Bahraini bruiser burst onto the scene in 2023, earning a contract on Contender Series before quickly making waves. He remains the only fighter to defeat Martin Buday during Buday’s UFC run (watch highlights) and was infamously fast-tracked into a main event against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, where he ultimately lost via corner stoppage.
Meanwhile, Pericic (7-1) continues his rise, improving to 3-0 in the UFC with three knockouts. With the win, he likely takes over Gaziev’s spot in the rankings.
It is not a rare occurrence for UFC to transport fighters to the hospital for precautionary reasons, especially if the fighters are involved in three-round battles full of damage. As of this writing, none of the scan results have been officially released, but stick with MMAmania.com for health-related updates.
For complete UFC Perth results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
