Marvin Vettori‘s return to the Octagon didn’t pan out the way he envisioned as he dropped a unanimous decision loss to Roman Dolidze. But ‘The Italian Dream’, despite a lopsided loss, is ready for the next challenge, and the 31-year-old appears to have his eyes on an up-and-coming contender. Vettori has decided to give rising star Sharaputdin Magomedov a big opportunity.

Before Sharaputdin Magomedov made his UFC 294 debut, there was a lot of hype surrounding his debut in the Dana White-led promotion. After he defeated Bruno Silva on his debut, ‘Bullet’ wanted to fight top contenders, and that’s when he called out Marvin Vettori, expressing eagerness to take on the former middleweight title contender. He even shared a pretty blunt message to ‘The Italian Dream’ as well.

“Vettori. Him being ranked Top 5 says absolutely nothing to me. When I start beating him up, my knuckles, my elbows, and my knees, I won’t care what he’s ranked,” Sharaputdin Magomedov stated in February last year. Well, Vettori had already responded once and accepted the fight “with open arms.” But in the wake of his loss to Roman Dolidze, and a title fight looking like a distant dream, the 31-year-old has doubled down on wanting this middleweight fight.

“Shara i accept the offer,” Marvin Vettori wrote on X. While the prospect of a fight between these two middleweights seems exciting, it does raise a doubt about the Dagestan native’s ability to beat the former title contender. Seeing how Sharaputdin Magomedov showcased a pretty lackluster performance in his last fight, and how he got dominated by the crafty Michael ‘Venom’ Page, his claims might be a bit too tall.

Well, it’s good news for Dana White because this match might sound exciting to him, given the hype surrounding Shara Magomedov despite his recent loss. However, a rumor recently popped up about the Dagestani star’s career might be in jeopardy due to some issues with UAE doctors and the athletic commissions in the United States. However, his coach has assured that there have been no issues at all. Here’s what he had to say.

Sharaputdin Magomedov’s coach shuts down rumors about his pupil’s career being in jeopardy

Sharaputdin Magomedov’s unique appearance—his one-eyed look—has often raised questions about his admission into the sport. Reports claim this to be a reason why he cannot perform in the United States, and after his loss at UFC 308, these doubts are only getting fueled. However, his coach, Gor Azizyan, claims that’s they eye is not an issue, and that Shara plans to return stronger because he already has a fight in hand.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with reality. Shara is now in Mecca, he went on Umrah, then he will come back to Russia and get some medical treatment. Shara belongs to that caliber of fighter who can get a fight whenever he wants. Mick [Maynard] has already got in touch and offered his fights,” Sharaputdin Magomedov’s coach stated in a video posted on social media.

Well, what do you think? Do you want to see this fight, Sharaputdin Magomedov vs Marvin Vettori, happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.