Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov’s Return Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi

The surging Sharabutdin Magomedov has his next assignment in the calendar, and it comes on a major card. Unbeaten in three UFC fights to date, Magomedov (14-0) has only grown his prominence since arriving on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in October 2023. After a debut win over Bruno Silva, the Dagestani reeled off victories […]

Continue Reading Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov’s Return Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi at MMA News.

The surging Sharabutdin Magomedov has his next assignment in the calendar, and it comes on a major card.

Unbeaten in three UFC fights to date, Magomedov (14-0) has only grown his prominence since arriving on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in October 2023. After a debut win over Bruno Silva, the Dagestani reeled off victories over Antonio Trócoli and Micha? Oleksiejczuk this past summer.

And Magomedov’s work for 2024 is not complete yet. After emerging victorious in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi thus far into his Octagon tenure, “Bullet” is once again set to make the walk in the Middle East.

The promotion announced this week that Magomedov will share the cage with Armen Petrosyan (9-3) as part of the stacked UFC 308 lineup in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

Magomedov Targets Fourth Straight UFC Win At Petrosyan’s Expense

When he makes the walk at Etihad Arena, Magomedov will look to keep his undefeated professional and UFC records intact.

The latest man tasked with blemishing the Russian’s slate is Petrosyan, a Muay Thai specialist who has experienced a mixed bag of things in the UFC to date. After earning a contract with a brutal head kick knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, the Armenian announced his arrival by outpointing the highly regarded Gregory Rodrigues.

“Superman” has since gone 2-2, losing out to current top-five contender Caio Borralho and most recently Rodolfo Vieira, with consecutive decision wins over AJ Dobson and Christian Leroy Duncan sandwiched between those setbacks.

He’ll now look to secure what would go down as his biggest win to date at the expense of a name touted by some to quickly rise the ranks at 185 pounds.

With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26 are as follows:

  • Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Max Holloway (featherweight championship main event)
  • Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev (middleweight co-main event)
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Raki? (light heavyweight)
  • Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige (featherweight)
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov (heavyweight)
  • Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos (welterweight)
  • Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan (middleweight)
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (welterweight)
  • Mateusz R?becki vs. Myktybek Orolbai (lightweight)
  • Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (heavyweight)
  • Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira (middleweight)
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira (light heavyweight)
Shara Magomedov
Image: @ufc/X

Continue Reading Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov’s Return Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi at MMA News.

4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

On Saturday, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest event, UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov. After staging its return to Manchester, England, for the UFC 304 pay-per-view last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion remained on the road for a card inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Before returning to the venue […]

Continue Reading 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at MMA News.

On Saturday, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest event, UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov.

After staging its return to Manchester, England, for the UFC 304 pay-per-view last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion remained on the road for a card inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Before returning to the venue for its annual numbered event this October (Topuria vs. Holloway! Topuria vs. Holloway! Topuria vs. Holloway!), the UFC put on a Fight Night event topped by elite bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. The former interim title challenger and his undefeated Russian opponent were looking to stake their claims for a shot at the winner of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili.

Saturday’s co-headliner, meanwhile, saw another fighter look to keep their 0 as Sharabutdin Magomedov attempted to make it three from three in the UFC at the expense of Micha? Oleksiejczuk.

Before that, a second crucial contest at 135 pounds went down. Making the walk for the first time since his defeat to O’Malley in their UFC 299 title fight, Marlon Vera hoped to revive his championship ambitions by stalling the two-weight goals of ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

Elsewhere on the lineup, the likes of former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and strawweight submission specialist Mackenzie Dern were among those in action. But did those names come together to put on an entertaining few hours of MMA action?

Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov.

Negative – Howard? Anybody Home?

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi started out with zero finishes and a judging horror show. Not exactly ideal, is it?

In one of the many decisions that kicked off the preliminary card on Saturday, Sam Hughes handed Victoria Dudakova the first defeat of her career, outpointing the Russian on two of the three judges’ scorecards after three rounds.

But the win for “Sampage” (surely top three for the worst nicknames in MMA? Sorry, Sam) wasn’t a certainty as Bruce Buffer read out the scorecards. That was courtesy of Howard Hughes, who showed that he has no business sitting cageside by scoring all three rounds for Dudakova.

Two? Justifiable. But to give the second frame to the 25-year-old is utterly ludicrous.

I largely don’t buy into judging criticism when plenty of ‘robbery’ cries derive from lost bets and fan favorites not getting the nod. But put Howie’s Saturday scorecard in the group of genuinely terrible verdicts in 2024.

Negative – Well, Keith, That Was Nonsense?

At what point do we accept that the “No Nonsense” Keith Peterson does, indeed, allow nonsense?!

A week on from a UFC 304 event that saw fence grabs galore and the most egregious instance of cheating in recent memory from Muhammad Mokaev — none of which were actually punished with point deductions, by the way — referee incompetence also arrived in the Middle East.

In fairness to Peterson, he was tasked with watching the heavyweightest of heavyweight fights in Don’Tale Mayes vs. Shamil Gaziev. I’m not sure there’s a human in the world who could have watched that slop and stayed focused on their task.

During one exchange that saw the one-time UFC headliner (a travesty) initiate grappling and push Mayes up against the cage, the American had a handful of Gaziev’s shorts and kept ahold despite the ref’s firm warning.

Peterson broke things up and took a point, right? RIGHT?! Of course not, he simply said he would, and then didn’t. Rules do not exist in MMA, folks. The worst part about this is, if Peterson was going to take zero action, why pause the fight and hamper Gaziev’s momentum in that position?

I don’t often agree with Daniel Cormier’s commentary, but his take was so spot on that it’s only right to let him close out this negative…

Positive – Murzakanov Atomics ‘Atomic’

Outside of a few names (Alex Pereira, Ji?í Procházka, and co.), the light heavyweight division isn’t exactly the most enthralling. But one man who is quickly joining the top figures on Mt. Entertainment excelled again in Abu Dhabi.

That man is Azamat Murzakanov, a hard-fisted Russian who has remained unbeaten in his career through four appearances inside the Octagon thus far. That run has seen only one bout go the distance, and of his three knockouts, the most brutal came at the Etihad Arena on Saturday.

The victim of his charge was Alonzo Menifield, who returned less than three months on from a 12-second KO at the hands of Carlos Ulberg. While not quite as quick, Murzakanov sent “Atomic” to a similar fate, putting him on wobbly legs with some hard punches before utterly flattening him with ground-and-pound for the stoppage.

While wins over the likes of Dustin Jacoby and Menifield make it hard to tout “The Professional” for title contention at 205 pounds at this point, he’s certainly a major threat to those above him in the ladder. And if he keeps delivering finishes like the kind he did on Saturday, we’re in for some fun.

Positive – ‘El Fenómeno’ Strikes

I assume many may have been in the same boat when I say that Joel Álvarez is a name I’d largely forgotten about leading in to the latest UFC Fight Night event.

In all fairness, the Spaniard hadn’t competed in over a year since his submission of Marc Diakiese in London. “El Fenómeno” had previously had his undefeated UFC record blemished in vicious and bloody fashion by some Arman Tsarukyan elbows.

With one fight in three straight calendar years, Álvarez was in need of some momentum after having two canceled fights already in 2024. Well, consider momentum acquired, and consider his name firmly back in our minds.

For his comeback fight, the Spanish standout was tasked with adding to the woes of the highly regarded Elves Brener. The Brazilian broke through in 2023 with a 3-0 year that saw him finish seventh for MMA News’ Newcomer of the Year award, but his first outing of 2024 concluded with him falling to the fast-charging Myktybek Orolbai.

And Brener was unable to bounce back in Abu Dhabi, as Alvarez put on a mightily fine performance en route to a TKO in the third and final round. The finish was set up by some brutal knees, before ground-and-pound got the job done.

Back in the Octagon, back on a win streak, and back on the radar at 155 pounds.

Negative – How Many More?

Tony. Tony, Tony, Tony (to be said in a slow and worried tone, not some sort of English football chant).

Tony Ferguson’s latest outing inside the Octagon was close to worst-case scenario, as he fell to yet another defeat in just minutes — although, in all honesty, it’s a relief at this point to see him exit a fight without major damage.

Like most, a loss is always the expected outcome when I see “El Cucuy” enter the cage these days. But even with that outlook on his floundering career, the rapid nature of his submission loss to Michael Chiesa was a surprise.

A retirement has been overdue for a while now, but after losses to Pimblett and “Maverick” to leave him with the unwanted record of suffering the most straight defeats in UFC history, there can be zero doubt about what the future should hold for Ferguson.

Unfortunately, while the gloves came off and it appeared as though Chiesa had passed over his microphone time for the end, Ferguson only half-retired. And in all honesty, with his frequent remarks about making another run as recently as last year, that’s as good as calling for another five-fight contract in the case of “El Cucuy.”

Given how long this term has been appropriate, it’s no longer right to say ‘it’s time’ for him to call it quits. It’s time for the UFC to do so for him.

Positive – Figgy

Deiveson Figueiredo is absolutely a problem in the bantamweight division.

Although a move up appeared clearly due following the end of his second stint on the flyweight throne, I’m not sure many predicted this kind of start to life at 135 pounds for “Deus Da Guerra.”

His debut against Rob Font was slick and impressive. His finish of Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300 added a former champion to his record in the division. His domination of Marlon Vera has no doubt earned him a top-five ranking.

More than just outpointing “Chito” in Abu Dhabi, Figueiredo became the first to knock the Ecuadorian down — a feat that even Sean O’Malley and his knee failed to achieve at UFC 299 this past March.

In terms of pure skill and fighting ability, I’m not sure the Brazilian’s superiority over Vera was ever in doubt. But to see him handle a tricky customer like “Chito” in that fashion was eyebrow-raising, and it also sees another big name added to the title equation at 135 pounds.

What. A. Division.

Positive – Bantamweight Main Events

We’ve had more heavyweight UFC main events in 2024 than bantamweight. Has there ever been a bigger farce in mixed martial arts?

For all the Shamil Gaziev vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruiks we have to sit through, there’s one reason we keep watching. Because a Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov could come along eventually.

Talent! Actual fighting talent, with technique, and strategy, and tactics. As expected, “The Sandman” and his undefeated Russian opponent battled in a highly entertaining chess match to close out Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.

The man having his hand raised at the end of it was Nurmagomedov, who rose to the occasion in what marked by far the toughest test of his blossoming career to date. And while his title ambitions have taken a slight hit, it’s hard to say Sandhagen’s stock dipped.

A round of applause for a bantamweight main event, folks — only the second of the year and the first not to include the title. Would it take a rocket scientist to explain that there are 50 different 135-pound matchups that would be better headliners than the Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac atrocity we’re in for next weekend?

Continue Reading 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at MMA News.

‘Anyone Half Decent Finishes Him’ – Fans Split After Shara Magomedov’s Latest Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, United On ‘Wack’ Nick Diaz Callout

Shara Magomedov received quite the opportunity as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on very short notice. That was following the announcement that Nick Diaz would not be able to compete in his originally scheduled fight with Vicente Luque. If one were to ask fans if “Bullet” made the most of his […]

Continue Reading ‘Anyone Half Decent Finishes Him’ – Fans Split After Shara Magomedov’s Latest Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, United On ‘Wack’ Nick Diaz Callout at MMA News.

Shara Magomedov received quite the opportunity as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on very short notice. That was following the announcement that Nick Diaz would not be able to compete in his originally scheduled fight with Vicente Luque.

If one were to ask fans if “Bullet” made the most of his opportunity, they’d be split after his performance, which saw him get the decision win over Micha? Oleksiejczuk.

For all that people have been previously impressed by Magomedov, things seemed to be a problem early on. The Dagestani had the better strikes and kept his distance, busting Oleksiejczuk open with an elbow. The Polish veteran, however, landed one punch that briefly knocked “Bullet” down.

Magomedov continued to outwork him with striking in the second round, and Oleksiejczuk didn’t make much of the takedown he scored at the end of the frame.

Magomedov then cruised his way to a clear decision win, with two 30-27 scorecards and a 29-28.

Though the UFC has previously announced they intend to re-book Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque, Magomedov surprisingly called out the elder Diaz brother following his win.

Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov Calls Out Nick Diaz After Cruising To Decision Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi

Magomedov is now 3-0 in the UFC, defeating Bruno Silva at UFC 294 and finishing Antonio Trócoli just over a month ago in Saudi Arabia.

Oleksiejczuk, meanwhile, has now lost three straight and four of his last five.

Continue Reading ‘Anyone Half Decent Finishes Him’ – Fans Split After Shara Magomedov’s Latest Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, United On ‘Wack’ Nick Diaz Callout at MMA News.

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Results & Highlights (12 PM ET)

The MMA leader stages its latest UFC Fight Night event on Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action. After taking the Octagon back to Manchester in England for a pay-per-view card last weekend, the promotion’s return to the United Arab Emirates sees the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi play host to a […]

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Results & Highlights (12 PM ET) at MMA News.

The MMA leader stages its latest UFC Fight Night event on Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.

After taking the Octagon back to Manchester in England for a pay-per-view card last weekend, the promotion’s return to the United Arab Emirates sees the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi play host to a 13-fight lineup.

In the main attraction, undefeated bantamweight up-and-comer Umar Nurmagomedov will look to extend his perfect record en route to a first shot at UFC gold. Tasked with stalling his rise is Cory Sandhagen, who has worked his way back toward the undisputed belt after falling short of the interim title against Petr Yan back in 2021.

All eyes are also on the co-headliner, which sees another unbeaten Russian in Sharabutdin Magomedov in action as he faces Micha? Oleksiejczuk on short notice, as well as a second crucial contest at 135 pounds between recent title challenger Marlon Vera and former flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

Before those matchups, the likes of ex-lightweight interim title contender Tony Ferguson, strawweight submission specialist Mackenzie Dern, and light heavyweight powerhouse Alonzo Menifield will all have their next assignments inside the Octagon.

Ahead of the event, see below for the full card and broadcast information, and be sure to check back later for the live results and highlights!

UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Results & Highlights

Main Card (3 PM ET, ABC/ESPN+):

  • Bantamweight Main Event: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
  • Middleweight Co-Main Event: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Micha? Oleksiejczuk
  • Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Welterweight: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
  • Women’s Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez
  • Lightweight: Joel Álvarez vs. Elves Brener

Preliminary Card (12 PM ET, ESPN2/ESPN+):

  • Light Heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya vs. Kaue Fernandes
  • Heavyweight: Shamil Gaziev vs. Don’Tale Mayes
  • Lightweight: Guram Kutateladze vs. Jordan Vucenic
  • Women’s Strawweight: Victoria Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes
  • Lightweight: Jai Herbert vs. Rolando Berdoya
  • Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas vs. Denis Tiuliulin

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Results & Highlights (12 PM ET) at MMA News.

UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Umar Nurmagomedov Outlasts Cory Sandhagen

The MMA leader staged its latest UFC Fight Night event on Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action. After taking the Octagon back to Manchester in England for a pay-per-view card last weekend, the promotion’s return to the United Arab Emirates saw the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi play host to a […]

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Umar Nurmagomedov Outlasts Cory Sandhagen at MMA News.

The MMA leader staged its latest UFC Fight Night event on Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.

After taking the Octagon back to Manchester in England for a pay-per-view card last weekend, the promotion’s return to the United Arab Emirates saw the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi play host to a 13-fight lineup.

In the main attraction, undefeated bantamweight up-and-comer Umar Nurmagomedov extended his perfect record en route to a potential first shot at UFC gold. Unsuccessful in his attempt to stall the Russian’s rise was Cory Sandhagen, who fell on the wrong side of three lopsided scorecards.

All eyes were also on the co-headliner, which saw another unbeaten Russian in Sharabutdin Magomedov in action as he faced Micha? Oleksiejczuk on short notice, as well as a second crucial contest at 135 pounds between recent title challenger Marlon Vera and former flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

Before those matchups, the likes of ex-lightweight interim title contender Tony Ferguson, strawweight submission specialist Mackenzie Dern, and light heavyweight powerhouse Alonzo Menifield all had their next assignments inside the Octagon.

With the event concluded, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights!

UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Results & Highlights

Main Card:

  • Bantamweight Main Event: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
  • Middleweight Co-Main Event: Sharabutdin Magomedov def. Micha? Oleksiejczuk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Bantamweight: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Welterweight: Michael Chiesa def. Tony Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke): R1, 3:44
  • Women’s Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern def. Loopy Godinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Lightweight: Joel Álvarez def. Elves Brener via TKO (knees): R3, 3:36

Preliminary Card:

  • Light Heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov def. Alonzo Menifield via KO (punches): R2, 3:18
  • Lightweight: Kaue Fernandes def. Mohammad Yahya via TKO (punches): R1, 4:45
  • Heavyweight: Shamil Gaziev def. Don’Tale Mayes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Lightweight: Guram Kutateladze def. Jordan Vucenic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Women’s Strawweight: Sam Hughes def. Victoria Dudakova via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
  • Lightweight: Jai Herbert def. Rolando Berdoya via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas def. Denis Tiuliulin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Sedriques Dumas Def. Denis Tiuliulin

Jai Herbert Def. Rolando Berdoya

Sam Hughes Def. Victoria Dudakova

Guram Kutateladze Def. Jordan Vucenic

Shamil Gaziev Def. Don’Tale Mayes

Kaue Fernandes Def. Mohammad Yahya

Azamat Murzakanov Def. Alonzo Menifield

Joel Álvarez Def. Elves Brener

Mackenzie Dern Def. Loopy Godinez

Michael Chiesa Def. Tony Ferguson

Deiveson Figueiredo Def. Marlon Vera

Sharabutdin Magomedov Def. Micha? Oleksiejczuk

Umar Nurmagomedov Def. Cory Sandhagen

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Umar Nurmagomedov Outlasts Cory Sandhagen at MMA News.

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! After staging its return to Manchester, England, for the UFC 304 pay-per-view last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion has remained on the road for a card inside the Etihad Arena […]

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

After staging its return to Manchester, England, for the UFC 304 pay-per-view last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion has remained on the road for a card inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Before returning to the venue for its annual numbered event this October, the UFC will put on a Fight Night event topped by elite bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. The former interim title challenger and his undefeated Russian opponent will be looking to stake their claims for a shot at the winner of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili.

Saturday’s co-headliner, meanwhile, will see another unbeaten name back in action as Sharabutdin Magomedov looks to make it three from three in the UFC at the expense of Micha? Oleksiejczuk.

Before that, a second crucial contest at 135 pounds will go down. Making the walk for the first time since his defeat to O’Malley in their UFC 299 title fight, Marlon Vera will look to revive his championship ambitions before stalling the two-weight goals of ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

Elsewhere on the lineup, the likes of former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and strawweight submission specialist Mackenzie Dern are among those set to be in action.

Ahead of the event, all 26 fighters successfully made weight. With that, all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 10 AM ET.

UFC Fight Night Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.