Fresh off his outstanding double-spinning backfist knockout at UFC 308, the undefeated Russian middleweight is already itching to get back into the action.
Yet Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov isn’t just a professional mixed martial artist, he’s also a Muay Thai kickboxer and a true demolition man for an insane combat sport known as ‘Lethwei’.
Shara Magomedov reveals he’s the reigning Eurasian Lethwei champion
In conversation with Red Corner MMA earlier this week, the undefeated UFC middleweight contender revealed that he remains the regional champion for something called ‘Lethwei’ – also known as Burmese Boxing.
A truly insane sport, research suggests that Lethwei might have originated in Myanmar (Burma) around 1,000 years ago, but one thing that everyone agrees upon is that it’s easily one of the most brutal combat sports out there.
Don’t just take our word for it: In sanctioned Lethwei bouts, fighters can use knees, elbows, kicks and punches as you would otherwise expect, but it’s also completely legal to headbutt your opponent unconscious.
“Yes, I am officially the current Eurasian champion in Lethwei, it’s almost like Bare-Knuckle [where] they just wrap your hands, [but] you can also headbutt your opponent.
“This sport is as hard as it gets, slightly different from Muay Thai,” stated the undefeated UFC star-in-the-making.
In fact, not only can you headbutt your opponent, but it’s actually considered to be a key part of a fighter’s arsenal and is the reason why the sport is known as the ‘Art of Nine Limbs’
“Muay Thai is one of the toughest sports, but I believe Lethwei is the toughest one [of all],” argued Magomedov, claiming that he’s only competed in the sport a handful of times, albeit with devastating results.
“I think five or six [fights], I got the finish in all of them – they give your opponent two minutes to recover but it wasn’t enough for them.”
Whilst footage of Shara Magomedov’s Lethwei career is scarce, there are a few videos showing highlights of his time dishing out the damage… It’s safe to say that wherever ‘Bullet’ goes, carnage follows.