Shara Magomedov, the Russian former undefeated middleweight just got handed his first loss by Michael ‘Venom’ Page. The audience at UFC Fight Night 250 in Riyad, saw ‘Venom’ school ‘Bullet’ over three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. But did this deter ‘Bullet’ in any way? Doesn’t look like it! The Russian star from Dagestan with a 15-1 record put out a statement about his lopsided loss against MVP, vowing to come back stronger. And guess what? It looks like he already has his next bout in the promotion!

The one-eyed middleweight star hinted that a serious medical issue was the reason for his lapse in performance inside the Octagon. He posted on Instagram writing, “The pirate sails into the harbor, but I will return! I knew all the risks when stepping in with such a nightmarish health condition and preparation. I felt that despite everything, I could still win it didn’t work out, and that’s it.”

He thanked UFC and Dana White for the opportunity and said that he did not want to cancel the fight despite his poor health. And guess who replied to this post? None other than Marvin Vettori 185 lbs contender who Magomedov already had in his crosshairs! ‘The Italian Dream’ seems ready to make his dream come true and commented, “Heads up, we’ll fight soon.”

The #7 ranked middleweight star had been previously challenged by ‘Bullet’ when he was at #5 in the division and Magomedov was still unranked. Shara ‘Bullet’ had issued the following challenge to the Italian fighter on X, saying, “Vettori. HH being ranked Top 5 says nothing to me. When I start beating him up, my knuckles, my elbows, and my knees, I won’t care what he’s ranked.”

So now that Magomedov had his first loss and is ranked #14, will he get a chance against Vettori? Dana White has not exclusively said anything about this but he did dissect why Magomedov lost his fight against ‘Venom’.

Dana White lists reasons why Shara Magomedov did not win

After the power-packed UFC Saudi Arabia, it was time to break the event down and analyze its highs and lows. UFC head honcho Dana White chimed in on why the Russian middleweight star lost his fight.  A reporter asked the UFC head honcho whether Magomedov’s loss overshadowed his infamous double-spinning back fist KO at UFC 308. But the boss denied it and said that Page was a bad matchup for Bullet.

He said, “No, I think styles make fights. ‘MVP’ is a very tough style to fight. You know, he lays back and counter-punches. If you go guns blazing against him, he’s a real good counter-puncher.” White also added the fact that while other fighters come into the Octagon with optimal vision, Magomedov excels with just one healthy eye. 

Michael Bisping who shares this aspect with the Russian, rooted for him even after his loss to Venom. Shara Magomedov has always said how he was inspired by ‘The Count’ who despite having one functional eye, managed to defeat top contenders to become the first British UFC middleweight champion. 

When Magomedov spoke to Bisping, he poured his heart out at how Bisping had inspired him because of their similar struggles and inhibitions. They both lost their eye with a similar outcome: a detached retina. But Magomedov, just like Bisping, declined to see it as a full stop to his MMA career. It was just another hurdle to overcome.

Despite the loss, ‘The Count’ had high praise for the Dagestani star while giving props to MVP, saying, “I’ve got a lot of respect for this guy, but I’ve gotta call it like I see it. ‘MVP’ was by far the better man tonight.”. What do you make of Shara Magomed’s performance at UFC Saudi Arabia? Did you think his performance was satisfactory? Let us know in the comments down below.