UFC middleweight star Shara âBulletâ Magomedov will look to move one step closer to a spot in the rankings on June 27th.
After suffering his first career loss against Michael âVenomâ Page last year, Shara âBulletâ Magomedov bounced back with a dominant win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Abu Dhabi by unanimous decision. The talented middleweight is one of the UFCâs most unique fighters and possesses elite striking.
Magomedovâs recent setback against Page left some wondering if the UFC matchmakers had pushed the Russian star too fast in the middleweight division. The UFC is known for attempting to push popular names up the ladder quickly, as evidenced by the recent rises of Bo Nickal and others.
Despite the risks associated with pushing fighters with early success, the UFC isnât wasting time attempting to get Magomedov closer to the Top 15.
As first reported by Ag.Fight, Magomedov will fight fellow knockout artist Michel Pereira on the UFCâs June 27th fight card. The event is rumored to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, but nothingâs been confirmed by the promotion as of this writing.
Pereira snapped a three-fight losing streak against Zach Reese at UFC Houston last month. Pereira has had his fair share of ups and downs since making the full-time move to middleweight after multiple botched weight cuts in the welterweight division.
Magomedov vs. Pereira is an intriguing stylistic matchup with massive implications for both middleweights. The 31-year-old Magomedov will look to reclaim the form that saw him knock out Armen Petrosyan and Antonio Troccoli.
The full, rumored UFC Baku card is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. This marks the second consecutive year that the promotion has held an event in Azerbaijan.
AFAIK he still has visa issues so heâs going nowhere literally and figuratively.
TIL Azerbaijan has things like buildings and electricity.
Fighting IS the universal sport. Hopefully itâs a good crowd
The reason the give for him not fighting in the US:
âDue to an eye injury he suffered earlier in his career, Magomedov is a hard fighter to book around the world, as many athletic commissions refuse to allow him to compete while half-blind. This is why the UFC hasnât booked him for a fight in the United States, and heâs only fought in the Octagon in the Middle East.â
Sick card