Sharaputdin Magomedov wants to fight Nick Diaz next. The undefeated middleweight won a unanimous decision victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at their UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi co-main event clash tonight. When it was announced that ‘Shara Bullet’ would take on ‘Hussar’ in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, one thing was certain- it would be a striking masterclass.
And that is exactly what Sharaputdin Magomedov put on, winning a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 decision on the judges’ scorecard after outstriking the Pole for three rounds. Both men are strikers with Oleksiejczuk having scored fourteen out of nineteen wins via knockout coming into the fight. The Dagestani had an even better KO rate, with eleven out of his thirteen wins coming that way before the Oleksiejczuk bout.
However, the one-eyed striking maestro’s world-class kicking game and dynamic, fluid stand-up proved too good for the Leczna native. While the first round was somewhat close, the Russian took the reins in the last two rounds, keeping Oleksiejczuk at bay with his kicks. Almost every time Oleksiejczuk managed to close the distance, ‘Shara Bullet’ would catch him with a solid strike before getting out of range. ‘Hussar’ did manage two takedowns: towards the end of the second and third rounds, but couldn’t capitalize on it.
What turned heads, however, was the Russian calling out superstar Nick Diaz, who hasn’t fought for the past three years and is past his prime. Given Diaz’s inactivity, he isn’t expected to be much of a challenge for Sharaputdin Magomedov. This move has rubbed many the wrong way since there is no shortage of good middleweight contenders that Magomedov could fight. Let us look at some of the reactions to ‘Shara Bullet’s callout of Nick Diaz.
MMA world outraged at Sharaputdin Magomedov calling out Nick Diaz
One fan felt that Diaz-Magomedov would never happen because of the logistical issues involved. Diaz was earlier scheduled to take on the ever-exciting Vicente Luque on the Abu Dhabi card, but pulled out as he didn’t want to fight in the Middle East. Magomedov, on the other hand, is blind in one eye, and thus extremely unlikely to be licensed by any respectable Athletic Commission outside the the region: “Waste of a call out. Nick ain’t fighting in Abu Dhabi and Shara isn’t even allowed to fight anywhere else”
MMA media personality Alex Behunin echoed the unanimous fan sentiment and simply told the Dagestani: “Nah Shara don’t call out Nick.” One fan called on Dana White and co. to make sure the fight never happens: “Don’t feed Nick Diaz to this motherf**ker”
Fan-favorite MMA analyst extraordinaire MMA Guru was incensed at the Dagestani calling out Diaz, daring him to fight middleweight star Joe Pyfer, who is known for his well-rounded game, combining crisp striking with his more than acceptable ground game: “Yeah fu*k Shara Magomedov how fu*king dare you call out Nick Diaz you fu*king coward. #UFCAbuDhabi
Fight Joe Pyfer he would end you quick.”
Another fan felt that the only reason Magomedov had called out Diaz was because the Dagestani feared fighting grapplers and Diaz was past his prime: “That sh*t was pathetic, he knows any wrestler at 185 mauls him so he calls out old washed Nick Diaz 🤦♂️” What are your thoughts on Magomedov calling out Nick Diaz?