Sharabutdin
Magomedov has some big shoes to fill in if he wants to be the
new face of Dagestani striking.
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Magomedov is an elite striker from Dagestan, which is more famous
for producing some of the greatest grapplers in MMA history.
Commonly known as “Shara Bullet,” Magomedov made his UFC debut at
UFC 294 in October 2023, putting on a striking clinic to earn a
unanimous decision win over Bruno Silva.
After the fight, UFC CEO Dana White expressed surprise at the
undefeated Dagestani’s unwillingness to wrestle. Instead of being
deterred, Magomedov was motivated by White’s comments.
“It’s a sort of hype for me,” he told Red Corner MMA. “People must
be tired of Dagestani wrestling; they want to see Dagestani
striking! Here you go, I have arrived!”
Prior to Magomedov, Zabit
Magomedsharipov was arguably the torchbearer of elite Dagestani
striking. A highly versatile mixed martial artist, Magomedsharipov
displayed a unique mix of elite wrestling and striking during his
promising but short-lived UFC career. The featherweight contender
made his UFC debut in 2017 and went undefeated in six outings,
besting the likes of Kyle
Bochniak, Jeremy
Stephens and Calvin
Kattar during his promotional tenure.
However, Magomedsharipov went on a long hiatus following his
unanimous decision win over Kattar in November 2019.
Magomedsharipov would never return to action, officially
announcing his retirement from the sport in June 2022. As for
the reason behind his retirement, the Dagestani standout pointed to
“fight disruptions” and lingering health issues. Magomedsharipov
has seemingly taken up medical studies since and has dismissed the
idea of a potential return to MMA.
“Shara Bullet” humbly responded to comparisons with
Magomedsharipov, admitting that it would be difficult to replace
the featherweight as the face of Dagestani striking in the UFC.
Magomedov, a middleweight, notes that it would be tough to
replicate Magomedsharipov’s clean and sophisticated stand up game
in his division.
“It would be hard to outshine Zabit,” he said. “He is very
sophisticated, he is very fast. Also, he is pretty light. I’m [30
to 45 pounds] heavier than him. It would be hard for me to perform
the techniques he showcased in his fights, at least that clean,
because I’m in a heavier weight class.”
Magomedov was originally scheduled to face Ihor Poteira at UFC
Saudi Arabia on June 22 before the Brazilian accepted a short
notice UFC 301 outing against Michel
Pereira last month. Magomedov will now fight 47-fight veteran
Joilton
Lutterbach, who makes his UFC debut.