Sharaputdin Magomedov gave fans exactly what they wanted in his UFC 308 clash against Armen Petrosyan. The Russian striking dynamo not only continued his unbeaten run but also scored a spectacular highlight-reel as he finished the bout with a rare double-spinning back fist.

After the fight, Magomedov, despite being unranked and not having faced even one ranked fighter in the UFC, called out former champion and superstar Israel Adesanya. And that hasn’t gone down well with former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo.

“My man [Magomedov] threw two [spinning backfists] and got Petrosyan out of there. He had great footwork the whole fight… It’s a bigger version of Zabit. Fantastic matchup for him, a good step up. I know at the end of the fight he called out Israel Adesanya. Slow your roll buddy, slow your roll,” Usman said on his ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with Cejudo.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ pointed out how Petrosyan, despite ultimately getting knocked out spectacularly in the end, won the first and arguably second round of their main card clash. And that, for Usman is a clear indication that the undefeated middleweight is not ready to take on Izzy, who remains among the top three (or top five at worst) strikers in the entire sport.

Henry Cejudo, who felt that “Israel would break his [Magomedov’s] foundations with kicks,” completely seconded this sentiment. On the other hand, Israel Adesanya isn’t even taking the call-out seriously. And even Magomedov has provided quite a list of fighters he would settle for if ‘The Last Stylebender’ isn’t up to fight him next.

Sharaputdin Magomedov’s names alternatives to Adesanya as ‘Izzy’ memes his callout to death

Sharaputdin Magomedov is known for his striking. But that doesn’t mean he has no ground game. In fact, it seems he has developed quite a grappling repertoire. Or at least that is what Magomedov is claiming, as he named Marvin Vettori, one of the division’s best wrestlers, among the fighters he would like to face in the future.

Perhaps knowing that he is in no position to fight Adesanya yet, the Dagestani also floated the names of middleweight star Kevin Holland and exciting Brazilian striking dynamo Michel Pereira as his next opponents. And Israel Adesanya, for his part, is not taking the call-out very seriously.

At least that is the impression that one gets from ‘Izzy’s response to ‘Shara Bullet’s call-out. The former champion went on a meme fest, quoting actor Will Smith and rapper 50 Cent while replying to Magomedov. “Keep my name out your f***ing [mouth]…What the f*** did I do? Why he say f*** me for?”, Adesanya tweeted amusingly.

Whatever happens next, one thing is clear- Sharapudin Magomedov’s stock is rising. And the day may not be too far away when ‘Shara Bullet’ is in a position where his call-out cannot be ignored by a superstar like Adesanya. But as Petrosyan showed, Magomedov still has a lot of work to do before he gets there. What are your thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s warning for Sharaputdin Magomedov?