Debutant Sharaputdin Magomedov beat Bruno Silva via a unanimous decision in the opening bout of UFC 294. While the Russian won his debut fight in the promotion, it seems his hype may have died down. UFC fans have high expectations from Russian fighters when it comes to wrestling, but Magomedov disappointed many.
Magomedov, unlike most of his Dagestani compatriots, is primarily a striker and has won ten out of his 12 fights via a KO/TKO, having a KO rate of over 91% before the Silva fight. Silva, however, was not far behind with an 87% KO rate. Their fight was seen as a case of an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force.
Fans are unhappy with Sharaputdin Magomedov’s performance at UFC 294
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Fans on Twitter chipped in with their two cents on the UFC 294 opener. Some fans were not impressed with ‘Shara Bullet’s win.
Brotha please, he only practiced against American wrestling, not Brazilian.
— Colby (@ImproperColby) October 21, 2023
Many UFC enthusiasts questioned his stamina and called him an “amateur“.
Nah that’s crazy. Dude looked gassed at the beginning of rd 3. Was super hyped to watch him but he looks very very amateur.
— Tarik (@tairick_) October 21, 2023
Dagestani fighters have created a reputation for strong wrestling in MMA. Hence, fans were surprised by Magomedov’s subpar ground game. Silva had three takedowns against Magomedov.
shara bullet is the only person in dagestan who can’t defend a takedown #UFC294
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) October 21, 2023
Others were not happy with the scoring and questioned the scorecard and judging.
So the judges aren’t scoring takedowns or control time at all. Let’s see if that stays the same in the main event. #UFC294
— Zac Pauga (@ZacPauga) October 21, 2023
Layed on his back for 2 rounds and gets a 30-27
makes sense @ufc
— Nick the Insurance Guy (@nickenomics) October 21, 2023
People disagreed with the scores. Many fans shared their thoughts on social media.
Shara won but that was 29-28 IMO not 30-27
— The Dagestani Eagle (@DagestaniEagle_) October 21, 2023
Bro. I like Shara but that was not 30-27
— RELA 𝕏 (@itzzSKL) October 21, 2023
Did Magomedov deserve the win? Many MMA fans had similar questions after witnessing the fight.
They rigged this one
— kool-aid papi (@marquesdaryl) October 21, 2023
Bruno Silva vs. Sharaputdin Magomedov
The first round was back and forth with some nice combinations by Silva, but ‘Sharabullet’ was able to land his signature kicks, inside, and outside, as well as to the head, bruising Silva’s right thigh. The second round, however, clearly belonged to the Russian. Silva took down Magomedov later, and both stayed on the ground for the rest of the round.
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But the debutant was able to catch the Brazilian with some good elbows, up-kicks, and punches from the ground. The third was also mostly on the ground with multiple takedowns initiated by Silva. But he was unable to do much that would sway the judges to give him the round. At the end of the fight, ‘Sharabullet’ landed 113 significant strikes to Silva’s 65 with roughly the same accuracy.
Silva landed 78% strikes to the head with 51/76 to ‘Shara’s 49% with 56/92. The main point of departure between the two and where Magomedov took the fight was Shara’s significant strikes to his opponent’s body and legs with 57 combined strikes, to Silva’s paltry 14. The result, of course, was a 30-27 decision with the judges awarding Magomedov all three rounds, which did not go down well with the fans.
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What are your thoughts on the UFC 294 opener? Do you agree with the judges that Sharaputdin Magomedov won all three rounds? Let us know in the comments section below.
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