Dricus Du Plessis was quick to mock Shara Magomedov despite his impressive UFC Abu Dhabi victory.
The middleweight champion is known for his incredibly harsh brand of trash talking, which is no holds barred at best. And he didn’t hold back in his brief attack on Magomedov, who isn’t even a ranked contender for the South African’s belt.
The message adds insult to injury for Magomedov, who suffered a broken nose during his ‘Fight of the Night’ with Marc-Andre Barriault.
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Dricus Du Plessis sends brutal ‘cyclops’ jab to Shara Magomedov after UFC Abu Dhabi
Dricus Du Plessis sits at the head of the middleweight division, and appears to have his eyes on all challengers – even those who aren’t ranked. There was a brief period where Shara Magomedov landed in the top 15, but his defeat to welterweight Michael ‘Venom’ Page in February cost him that spot.
However, that doesn’t mean he was spared from a vintage Du Plessis bullying insult, with the champion mocking him for his missing eye. The Russian has fought with just one eye for years since a sparring accident, but has still managed to amass a solid combat career including a major UFC run.
Du Plessis wrote on X: “Well done Cyclops/leprechaun.” The second part of his insult was likely insulting Magomedov for his curly red hair, which seems more like an Irish do than one from the hills of Dagestan.
Shara Magomedov won $50,000 bonus for UFC Abu Dhabi win
Despite the insults, Magomedov got the last laugh as both he and Barriault were awarded $50,000 for their part in the Fight of the Night. They both were brutally injured, the latter with an elbow to the top of the head that led to a gnarly cut, and earned their extra pay in the heat of Abu Dhabi.
In the first round, the Russian badly hurt Barriault with the cut, which ended up with both men covered in blood. He almost got the finish in the second, but ended up being caught flush by a check right hook that smashed his nose.
Ultimately, the more rounded striking and movement of Magomedov was enough to earn him the decision victory. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 giving him the first and third and scoring the second for Barriault.