Las Vegas — Middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov, better known simply as “Shara Bullet,” is coming off his second fight, and second win, under the UFC banner at UFC Saudi Arabia last month.
The promotion’s debut in the Kingdom might have been an even bigger night for Magomedov (13-0), were it not for a revolving door of would-be opponents pulling out of the fight: Ihor Poteiria and Joilton Lutterbach were both matched up with the Dagestani in Saudi Arabia, before newcomer Antonio Trócoli finally stuck.
“Honestly I was very frustrated because the opponents would keep getting pulled out for multiple reasons,” Magomedov told Cageside Press recently. “But I’m thankful I got an opponent, I got a fight, and I had this performance. I want to thank my manager Ali and the entire UFC crew for finding me an opponent and keeping this fight intact.”
Shara Bullet is notable as the rare Dagestani fighter who forgoes wrestling and instead relies on a wrestling-heavy approach. And it doesn’t seem he’ll be straying from that game plan.
“Hey, I’m not planning on changing my style any time soon. Let them keep wrestling with me, they’re going to keep catching these elbows and my knees, or high kicks, whatever,” Magomedov said, asked if there was any pressure throughout his career to take the more traditional path. “They can try, but I’m not going to change my style. I’ll be striking. I am a striker, and we’re going to be striking.”
Magomedov also gave his pick for the upcoming Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight. “Adesanya,” he stated, followed by simply “knockout” when asked how it would end.
Watch our full interview with Shara Bullet above.
