UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi was a personification of highlight reels and a symphony of violence with some of the best finishes seen in recent memory. However, the finish that became the talk of the town came from Shara Magomedov, who, despite having one eye, wasted no time sending his Russian-Armenian opponent Armen Petrosyan into the shadow realm with a devastating spinning back fist. While he still has a long way to go, currently ranked #15, his ‘one-eyed pirate’ persona didn’t stop him from sending a warning to one of the division’s top contenders, #2-ranked Israel Adesanya.

This callout has sparked excitement among fans about the potential matchup between these two elite strikers in the octagon. But the burning question remains—does Shara Magomedov have what it takes to knock out someone like ‘The Last Stylebender’? We can’t answer that yet. However, someone who has recently fought Israel Adesanya, such as division leader Dricus Du Plessis, might be the one to give ‘Bullet’ a reality check.

Dricus Du Plessis delivers a harsh reality to Shara Magomedov over challenging Israel Adesanya

Since his debut in the UFC, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has remained a significant threat at 185lbs. Having become a two-time champion, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has been a major challenge for the middleweight division, with him being the only person in the UFC to defeat Alex Pereira. However, since last year, the path for this former kickboxing star has not been without its trials. Despite this, Dricus Du Plessis still believes Adesanya will have an easy time against the undefeated Shara Magomedov

Speaking to Submission Radio, Du Plessis expressed respect for Magomedov but voiced his doubts: “I don’t see him beating Izzy—well, not the Izzy that fought me. You don’t know how this last loss affected Izzy, but up until this point, I haven’t seen the kind of striking that is really going to put a stamp on beating a guy like Israel Adesanya,” said Du Plessis, who earlier this year in August submitted the Nigerian-Kiwi veteran in a way no one had ever done before in his MMA career—by a rear-naked choke at UFC 305.

Despite Magomedov wanting to fight Israel Adesanya, the question remains: does Izzy want to fight him? It seems unlikely. While watching UFC 308 from the comfort of his home, Adesanya dismissed ‘Bullet’s’ challenge by imitating Will Smith’s infamous reaction. However, Dagestani prospect Shara Magomedov doesn’t have to worry, as a welterweight contender is ready to take the ‘bullet‘ for him.

Michael Page ready to step up to middleweight for Magomedov fight

Michael ‘Venom’ Page has had a career full of transitions, jumping between various mixed martial arts promotions, trying his hand at both MMA and boxing and even commentating on the historic Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor 10-round boxing fight. Now, he’s making waves in the UFC’s welterweight division after moving on from Bellator earlier this year. With a 1-1 record in his first two welterweight fights, including a recent loss to Ian Garry at UFC 303, Page, at 37, is not shying away from challenges.

When Shara Magomedov called out Israel Adesanya after his explosive UFC 308 performance, Page quickly stepped in, not believing ‘The Last Stylebender’ is the right opponent for ‘Bullet’ just yet. In his recent interview with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting on SBN, ‘MVP’ said, “Then he called, yeah, then he called out my boy ‘Izzy.’ Mate, I’m at that weight right now. You don’t even have to wait too long. That one there, I’ll just take straight away just for the fun of it.”

When the host further asked if Page would be willing to step up to middleweight from welterweight, Page nodded affirmatively and stated, “I’m in shape now. Ready to go. So, that’s a good fight for me, I think, you know. Just a nice standup fight for everybody. Just a comeback to the game.”

What are your thoughts on the South African’s remark? Do you also think that Dagestani prospect Shara Magomedov would struggle to defeat the #2 ranked middleweight, Israel Adesanya if they were to face off in the octagon soon? Drop your opinion below.