Shara Magomedov’s dream run in the UFC has finally come to an end. The one-eyed Dagestani striker captivated fans with his striking prowess, menacing aura, and unbeaten record, making him seem destined for greatness. With his highlight-reel knockouts and action-movie villain persona, many believed he was destined for a title shot very soon in the future. However, that dream was shattered when Michael “Venom” Page handed him his first professional loss. In their highly anticipated showdown at UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov, MVP’s precision and experience proved too much.

There’s no doubt that Page is one of the most unorthodox and elite strikers in the UFC. His karate-stance approach, along with his ability to land lethal shots, makes him a nightmare for most fighters in the division. This is what he did against the 30-year-old Dagestani fighter and since then ‘Bullet’ has faced a lot of criticism from experts and fans. Former UFC fighter Josh ‘The Punk’ Thomson during his ‘Weighing In’ podcast said, “MVP, I thought, kind of dominated the fight. Just very one-sided, very touch-touch, land [a strike], touch-touch and land, and circle out, you know. It seemed like he was in control of the whole fight. To me, though, I felt like it was a little bit of a fraud check.”

But it seems the 30-year-old was not fully fit when he took on the fight. Red Corner MMA shared a clip of a conversation he had with Kamil Gadzhiev on their Instagram page. During the clip, the Dagestani fighter pointed out how his fans were in tears but the fighter took full responsibility for the loss. He said, “I even saw (some fans) in tears. And I would like to explain to them what really happened. I accepted this defeat with dignity. I know all the blame is on me.” Shara Magomedov then pointed out the main reason for him not being able to keep his winning momentum running. According to him, he has lost the hunger he once had when he entered the UFC.

Magomedov further added, I’ve lost my predator instincts. I know what I used to be at the beginning and what I have become now. I know I have to rebuild a lot of things to get back on my track. I took a lot of fights. I’ve had four fights within seven months. I took a loan from my health and failed to pay it off. So I neither properly prepared for the fight nor fixed my health issues, which got even worse. And also, as you said, underestimated him.” One of the questions the fans are asking now after his loss against MVP is whether his vision is slowly affecting his performance inside the Octagon as he is slowly facing elite fighters. Well, his coach, Gor Azizyan, doesn’t quite think so.

Shara Magomedov’s vision is not an issue at all, as revealed by his coach

Sharaputdin Magomedov’s distinctive appearance—most notably his one-eyed look—has long sparked debate about his eligibility to compete at the highest level. Reports suggest that his condition may be a barrier to fighting in the United States, and following his loss against MVP, those concerns have only intensified. However, his coach, Gor Azizyan, has dismissed any doubts, insisting that Magomedov’s eye is not a hindrance. In fact, Azizyan remains confident that Shara will bounce back stronger, revealing that the Dagestani striker already has his next fight lined up.

During a recent post on social media, his coach put an end to all such claims with some stern words for his critics. He said, “It doesn’t have anything to do with reality. Shara is now in Mecca; he went on Umrah, and 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.” Well, it will be interesting to see how the 30-year-old makes a comeback after his loss. He has already started a social media war with the champion, Dricus Du Plessis. But for him to get a title fight, he needs to get back to winning ways once again.

Will Shara Magomedov come back to win his next fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.