The UFC community will be introduced to yet another Dagestani fighter, Sharaputdin Magomedov, who is all set to make his debut in the promotion.
While sharing a part of his name with Khabib Nurmagomedov, ‘Shara Bullet’ has also been undefeated in his MMA career so far, like the former UFC lightweight champion. But did you know he shares a similarity with another UFC legend?
Magomedov has a career-altering injury similar to that of former UFC middleweight champ and current UFC commentator, Michael Bisping. He is one of the few to sustain severe injuries to their eye during a fight. Bisping once took on Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX. The fight was pretty ugly for ‘The Count’. A kick from Belfort led to Bisping’s retina getting detached, and he had to get it surgically removed in 2018.
Is Sharaputdin Magomedov blind in one eye? What happened?
The Dagestan native, Sharaputdin Magomedov, currently fights in the middleweight division. Unfortunately, his MMA career took a heavy toll on him, as he lost his right eye. However, the incident of his injury is quite different from how Bisping got his right eye injured. Most fans are well aware of ‘The Count’s’ eye injury happening during a fight.
There are only a negligible number of reports that detail Magomedov’s eye injury. A YouTube video from ‘THE FIGHT SECTOR’ revealed that ‘Shara Bullet’ picked up the initial injury to his right eye during one of his training sessions in Thailand.
It also drove him out of competition for a prolonged span of three years. Magomedov was on a four-fight winning streak back then. He had also earned a first-round KO victory in the fight preceding his injury.
Owing to the injury, he eventually lost his vision completely. Magomedov then laid bare the severity of the issue in an interview for fans to witness.
Sharaputdin Magomedov revealed the severity of his eye problems!
In an interview with ‘MatchTV’, the Dagestani revealed that he had to go through extreme trouble following his eye injury. He also revealed that he had endured eight surgeries to his right eye. ‘Shara Bullet’ said, “I had many different stages, my eyes were tortured specifically.”
The 29-year-old also went into further detail, revealing, “I found myself in a difficult situation – I did not train for two years, I did not fight. In principle, you can divide my whole career into ‘before’ and ‘after’ this injury.” Magomedov also revealed the horrible processes of the surgeries, stating, “Before the operation, I was mainly afraid of an injection in the eye. At this time, local anesthesia is administered, but you feel everything.”
However, several fans might shiver after listening to Magomedov’s next words. He said, “They pierce it from two or three sides.” However, none of those surgeries could suffice to save his right eye. After almost three years of trying, the doctor said to Magomedov, “The worst thing that can happen to your eye has already happened. Therefore, you can practice.”
Magomedov’s comeback into the MMA cage in 2021 had a large chunk of fans lauding his indomitable willpower. His in-cage skills hardly showcased any difference from his previous fights.
An undefeated MMA record despite having only one eye
UFC fans are aware of the fact that most Dagestanis have a similar style of fighting. Pretty few UFC fighters can match the level of ground game possessed by the Dagestanis. However, ‘Shara Bullet’ stands out from the other fighters in his region in this regard. The ones who have viewed his fights probably know that Magomedov is a class apart as a striker who has never relied on a decision to win his fights.
A look at his record to date will reveal that the 29-year-old is undefeated in his professional MMA career. However, it’s pertinent to note that he only had four fights before getting completely blinded in his right eye. But even this mishap couldn’t stop his dominating run in MMA. Magomedov ramped up straight victories in all seven fights that followed. The Russian currently boasts an undefeated record in pro-MMA (11-0) and is gearing up to maintain the undefeated record in the UFC!
When is Sharaputdin Magomedov making his UFC debut?
UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi is to be hosted on October 21, 2023. This is where ‘Shara Bullet’ will enter the octagon for the first time. It’s pertinent to note that he will be fighting at the same event that his countrymate, Islam Makhachev, will headline. The UFC has pitted him against the known UFC middleweight, Bruno Silva, who currently holds a 23-9-0 record.
Also, now that you are well aware of the trouble in his right eye, do you think he will showcase similar prowess in his UFC run? What is your prediction for his first UFC bout against Silva?
