Shara Magomedov confirmed loads of resilience in his long-awaited return to the Octagon.
After spending a yr on the sidelines, Magomedov overcame an early scare to earn a unanimous resolution victory over Michel Pereira within the co-main occasion of UFC Baku.
The battle obtained off to a disastrous begin for “Bullet”. After opening with a collection of kicks, he was caught by a superbly timed proper hand from Pereira that despatched him crashing to the canvas. The Brazilian adopted him to the bottom and spent a lot of the opening spherical in high place, unloading punches and controlling the motion.
Nonetheless, the Russian striker weathered the storm and started discovering his rhythm within the second spherical, counting on his numerous kicking arsenal to chip away at Pereira. Whereas neither man threw in excessive quantity, Magomedov was the extra energetic of the 2, repeatedly focusing on the legs and physique whereas forcing “Demolidor” onto the again foot.
Pereira briefly threatened with a takedown and landed a number of kicks of his personal within the closing spherical, however Magomedov’s exercise as soon as once more proved to be the distinction. “Bullet” blended in physique kicks, spinning assaults, and knees whereas persistently staying one step forward within the hanging exchanges.
After 15 aggressive minutes, all three judges turned in 29-28 scorecards in favor of Magomedov, handing him a unanimous resolution victory.
The win improves Shara Magomedov to 6-1 within the UFC and 17-1 total. His lone skilled defeat stays a unanimous decision loss to Michael “Venom” Page in February 2025.
