Anik’s Triple C: One Compliment, One Critique, and One Conclusion for Shara Bullet’s UFC Debut

Sharabutdin Magomedov exemplifies star power in the Middle East, and it was the perfect idea to have his UFC debut in Abu Dhabi. In arguably the most high profile fight to ever open a card, “Shara Bullet” had the crowd roaring from start to finish. He remained undefeated (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) with a unanimous decision victory over Bruno Silva (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC). Here is one compliment, one critique, and one conclusion for the Russian’s performance at UFC 294:

Compliment: Patient stand up

Magomedov looked fantastic on his feet against a dangerous striker. According to ESPN, he rarely used his hands, yet he unofficially landed 222 strikes. While using stellar distance management, Magomedov’s kick variety chopped up Silva’s leg and wobbled him upstairs. In his post-fight interview, he admitted he played it safe on the feet. If that is the case, his vicious kicks will be lethal against whoever he faces next.

Critique: Getting taken down three times by a striker

Bruno Silva has never gotten a victory by submission, yet he took Magomedov down three times and amassed almost seven minutes of ground control. While Magomedov did land significant elbows and upkicks from the ground, getting up was not urgent. Based on this, the middleweight division’s top grapplers will be licking their lips at the opportunity of derailing a hype train. This area of his game must be improved because a better grappler will smother him and look for the submission.

Conclusion: “Shara Bullet” is a star but not a contender yet

Signing the Russian was one of the best recent moves by the UFC. Magomedov is guaranteed to put on exhilarating fights, and the fans love his unique aura. Furthermore, he might have had the best performance off one’s own back since Kevin Holland knocked out Jacare Souza with wild hooks at UFC 256.

While Magomedov brings more eyes to the UFC, he needs to improve his ground game to become a title contender. Time is on his side, however, as he is only 29.

Anik Subramanian

Anik Subramanian is an aspiring MMA journalist based in the United States. He discovered his passion for MMA when the sport was the first to return to live action during the pandemic. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been a lifelong sports fan.