Athletes
Shara Magomedov: ‘I’m One Of The Best’
Undefeated Middleweight Shara Magomedov Faces Armen Petrosyan This Saturday At UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway
One of the UFC’s hottest prospects, Shara Magomedov returns to Abu Dhabi for the third time since signing with the promotion just last year, and the second time in just three months.
“I feel like this is coming back home,” Magomedov said. “I was here in August for a month. I feel like I had a great fight against a great opponent, and so I feel very comfortable being here. I feel super ready for this fight.”
The undefeated Russian will make his third walk to the Octagon inside Etihad Arena at UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway this Saturday when he takes on Armen Petrosyan to kick off the main card. This is a huge spotlight for the 30-year-old who, just one year ago, was opening his first UFC card.
Order UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway
“It’s good the UFC is behind me and giving me these chances,” Magomedov said. “My first fight, it was the first fight on the prelim. I was the opener of the entire night, and it seems step by step, I keep on moving up and up and the UFC trusts me… Whatever I do, I will keep proving them right that their trust in me is worth something.”
It’s no surprise that he’s kicking off one of the biggest pay-per-view events of the year. Just three months ago, Magomedov secured his third UFC victory and earned his first Fight of the Night bonus with a unanimous decision over Michał Oleksiejczuk. This marked his third fight in less than 10 months, following earlier wins against UFC veteran Bruno Silva and a Performance of the Night TKO of Antonio Trócoli.
Magomedov has proven to be one of the most creative and dynamic strikers at 185 pounds. He believes Petrosyan, who shares a similar Muay Thai base, is the perfect dance partner to create an exciting matchup at UFC 308.
“This is a great matchup for me at this time,” Magomedov said. “Armen Petrosyan is a great fighter, a great striker. I’ve had three fights in the UFC so far, all of them were strikers and somehow, they all turned into wrestlers in the middle of the fight. When it comes to Armen Petrosyan, he has a great base of Muay Thai. I think this type of opponent right now is going to be a very exciting fight, very fun for the fans.
UFC 308 Embedded | MMA Coaches Break Down Holloway vs Topuria This Saturday
“A great win over this opponent will show that I’m one of the best, if not the best striker in this division. All the other fights I’ve had in the UFC, they all turned from strikers into wrestlers. I think this is going to cross all the T’s, dot all the I’s and the fact that I am the striker that I say that I am, I’m great and I’m ready to fight the tops of the division.”
While he’s not looking past the tough challenge that lies ahead in Armen Petrosyan in less than three days, Magomedov is eager to have his name mentioned among the biggest names in the division. He hopes a dominant performance on Saturday will convince fans and the UFC that it’s time for him to enter the rankings and start climbing toward the middleweight title.
“What I want the fans to say is finally give me a striker that can do something good against me, someone that he deserves to fight, a great striker,” Magomedov said. “The roster is full of these guys. I want them to give me (Israel) Adesanya, I want them to give me Kevin Holland, I want them to give me Michel Pereira. Give me these guys, this is who I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to be on the top level and compete with the tops of the division.”
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 26, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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