Paulo Costa has spilled the beans on social media about his subsequent dance accomplice. The Brazilian fighter introduced he accepted a proposal to scrap with Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov at UFC Qatar on November twenty second, declaring the matchup appeared “enjoyable.”
Paulo Costa vs. Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov at UFC Qatar
Paulo Costa dropped the information on X (previously Twitter) together with his trademark bluntness: “Was supplied Shara bullet in Qtar. It appears to be like enjoyable, I stated sure”. The battle seems set to function the co-main occasion for the UFC’s historic debut in Qatar on the ABHA Area in Doha.
This booking comes at a perfect time for the Brazilian Costa, who desperately needed momentum after winning just one of his last five fights before bouncing back with a convincing unanimous decision over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 in July. The 34-year-old Brazilian had been sliding down the rankings, presently sitting at thirteenth within the middleweight division. His victory in opposition to Kopylov marked his first win in nearly three years and his second in practically six years.
Paulo Costa
Paulo Costa constructed his repute as an aggressive knockout artist throughout a 13-0 run that included 4 TKO finishes between 2017-2019, incomes him a title shot against Israel Adesanya. Nonetheless, defeats to high contenders like Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland broken his standing.
For Costa, this battle represents an opportunity to rebuild his profession in opposition to an unranked however harmful opponent. At 34, he acknowledged needing to “placed on good fights to persuade the UFC he’s good to make a push for the highest”. His current improved relationship with UFC brass might assist his trigger, as he lately acknowledged: “I finished combating in opposition to the UFC. Now we’re mates. Now we’re companions.”
Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov
In the meantime, Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov represents the division’s future regardless of carrying a novel drawback. The 31-year-old Dagestani fighter sports activities a pristine 16-1 file with 12 knockouts, together with seven first-round finishes. His most up-to-date victory got here through unanimous resolution over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Abu Dhabi in July, bouncing again from his first skilled loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Web page in February.
What makes Magomedov’s story outstanding is his means to compete on the highest degree regardless of being blind in a single eye. The Russian suffered a extreme eye damage throughout coaching in Thailand early in his profession, requiring eight surgical procedures earlier than medical doctors satisfied him to have the attention utterly eliminated. He attracts inspiration from former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who additionally fought successfully with one functioning eye after his damage in opposition to Vitor Belfort.
“When it comes to Bisping, yes, he is a motivation because he’s somebody who has went down this path already,” Magomedov explained. The two fighters bonded over their shared disability during a recent interview, with Bisping removing his prosthetic eye to better connect with his “one-eyed brother”.
Magomedov’s striking arsenal combines his background as a Russian Muay Thai champion and Eurasia Lethwei champion. His various assault consists of spinning methods, knees, elbows, and head kicks from varied angles and distances. His most spectacular end got here at UFC 308 the place he knocked out Armen Petrosyan with a double spinning backfist that despatched shockwaves by way of the MMA world.
UFC Qatar
The Qatar card marks the UFC’s first visit to the Middle Eastern nation, adding another milestone to the promotion’s global expansion. Qatar joins the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the third Middle Eastern country to host UFC events. The November 22nd date also features other confirmed bouts including Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov and Alex Perez vs. Asu Almabayev.
Both fighters enter with something to prove in Qatar. Costa needs consistent performances to climb back toward title contention, while Shara Magomedov seeks to establish himself as a legitimate middleweight threat following his first career setback.
