Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov has been thrown into the limelight following his bone-shuddering knockout over Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308.
The 30-year-old, in fact, scored one of the greatest knockouts in MMA history, pulverizing his Russian-Armenian opponent with a double spinning back fist in the second round.
Since last Saturday’s brief but breath-taking showdown in Abu Dhabi, Shara Magomedov’s coach has teased a potential clash with UFC legend Israel Adesanya.
And while an opponent for the unbeaten middleweight’s next assignment is yet to be confirmed, welterweight contender Michael ‘Venom’ Page, too, has now thrown his name into the mix.
Armen Petrosyan discredits Shara Bullet’s stunning victory and calls for rematch despite Israel Adesanya rumors
Shortly after his scintillating victory, Magomedov entered the UFC’s middleweight rankings at 14th place, and now sits 11 spots below Khamzat Chimaev.
‘Borz’, another unbeaten contender at 185 lbs, secured an equally emphatic stoppage over seasoned operator Robert Whittaker on the same night.
And so, after seeing the acceleration of his countryman’s progression, ‘Bullet’ will undoubtedly be looking to storm up the top 15 as swiftly as possible.
Armen Petrosyan, however, believes that the formidable striker’s ascent should be halted, insisting that his rival’s win was merely a fluke.
Not only that, but the 33-year-old has demanded that he deserves a second shot at Magomedov, putting any potential matchups with Israel Adesanya or Page in jeopardy.
“It was a lucky punch,” Petrosyan told Red Corner MMA. “I was conscious; I was still in control.
“I don’t consider it a loss; he got gifted a [win]. Of course I would like to get the immediate rematch to annul this fight.”
Fans react to Armen Petrosyan’s damning assessment of Shara Bullet’s victory at UFC 308
Aside from targeting a legacy-defining fight with Adesanya, Magomedov will also be hoping to secure a title shot within the next few years.
Sitting at the top of the tree is UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, who is heavily mooted to rematch Sean Strickland following their highly contentious encounter earlier this year.
Nevertheless, ‘Bullet’ will no doubt be setting his sights on the upper echelons of his division, regardless of Petrosyan’s comments.
So then, it is perhaps unsurprising that MMA fans have largely responded to Petrosyan’s post-fight reflection with frustration.
On X, one fan, quite simply, said: “Delusional.”
Another fan added: “Great way to avoid gaining fans.”
Someone else said: “Idiot you should’ve wrestled.”