Why Shara Magomedov Cannot Fight In The US

Sharaputdin Magomedov has made quite an impact despite being just four fights old in the UFC. With his undefeated record, an over 80% knockout rate, unique personality, and dynamic, flamboyant striking skills, he is among the most exciting prospects in the UFC whom fans cannot get enough of. While this is enough for him to stand out from the crowd, there is one unique aspect about him that none of the other hundreds of fighters on the UFC roster have: he fights with one eye.

Since his debut on UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October 2023, he has only competed in the Middle East. This has left fans scratching their heads and asking only one question when it comes to Sharaputdin Magomedov: can he fight in the US? And the answer to that is, well, complicated.

Is Shara Magomedov allowed in the US? 

Firstly, Sharaputdin Magomedov does have a visa to enter the US. He confirmed that after revealing some details about ‘discussions’ he had in the past about making his way into the UFC’s home country. In an interview from 2024, he claimed, “Yes, we were discussing it (my manager) Ali is waiting for me. I’m getting a visa in a few days.”

However, the reason behind ‘Shara Bullet’s visit to the US is for a reason other than fighting – to film a movie, where he’s dawning the role of the villain. “When I get it [US visa], I will fly to America and perhaps star in that movie and train as well,” Magomedov added.

However, the real question is whether Sharaputdin Magomedov can fight in the United States of America or not. Well, the undefeated middleweight fighter has shed some light on that part as well. Here’s what he had to say.

Sharaputdin Magomedov about fighting in the US

First and foremost, the decision of Sharaputdin Magomedov to be able to compete in the States will ultimately come down to individual Athletic Commissions. The Dagestan native addressed this issue with Red Corner MMA, claiming that some SACs may not allow him to fight, but in the other states, he will be able to fight after going through certain formalities.

“I was told that I might not be able to fight in some states… As it would take some special agreements. But I can still take part in many events in the United States,” Sharaputdin Magomedov further stated. There are various other Athletic Commissions with much more liberal requirements to be licensed in that state, such as in Florida and Texas, which might let him fight in their respective jurisdictions. 

It is worth mentioning former middleweight champion Michael Bisping here. The Englishman lost functioning in one eye following a head kick by Vitor Belfort back in 2013 but went on to become champ with one eye. So can Sharaputdin Magomedov do the same? Well, it seems like there’s a ray of hope for the Dagestan native.

Shara ‘Bullet’ has a chance of fighting in America

The case of Michael Bisping is a unique one because he had to cheat medical exams by memorizing the eye test charts and pretending he was reading them off the chart during eye examinations just to get the clearance to compete. So the consensus in the MMA community is that Sharaputdin Magomedov would have to do something similar. However, that could not be further from the truth because another veteran one-eyed fighter claims otherwise.

A professional bantamweight MMA fighter, Dre Miley, who’s literally nicknamed ‘One-Eyed Dragon’, has been a professional fighter since 2016, with a respectable 10-7 record. When he noticed the talk about Sharaputdin Magomedov’s issues with fighting in the US, he shared a tweet, backing ‘Shara Bullet’s earlier claims about following certain formalities to fight in the States, and claiming to be competing for years without any problems for years now in the country despite his predicament.

“Hey [Michael Bisping] can you let [Dana White] know that Shara bullet can fight in the states? I been doing it for years as a guy who literally has one eye! 17 pro fights and counting,” the bantamweight fighter stated on X. It seems like there is a high probability of Sharaputdin Magomedov making his way into the United in the coming months and years. 

But before that, he’s got a big fight coming up this weekend at UFC Fight Night 250. Ahead of the promotion’s return to Saudi Arabia, let us know your thoughts about Sharaputdin Magomedov’s fight against Michael ‘Venom’ Page in the comments down below.