Shara Magomedov, known as “Shara Bullet,” is inspired by former UFC champion Michael Bisping to overcome his long-standing eye injury as he prepares to face Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308, while expressing aspirations to fight notable opponents like Nick Diaz and Kevin Holland.
It’s no secret that “Shara Bullet” has been competing with an eye injury for years. He’s drawn inspiration from a former UFC champion to push through it.
Bullet, also known as Shara Magomedov, will open this Saturday’s UFC 308 main card in Abu Dhabi. He faces Armen Petrosyan in a middleweight showdown. At Wednesday’s media day, Magomedov shared insights on how he’s learned from the career of Michael Bisping, a former UFC champion and Hall of Famer, especially in dealing with his own injury since 2016.
Bisping’s eye injury came after a head kick from Vitor Belfort back in 2013. Remarkably, he continued fighting until retirement four years later. Despite the injury progressing to where he now has a prosthetic right eye, it didn’t stop him from capturing the UFC middleweight title.
So, is Magomedov worried about opponents exploiting this limitation?
“I think it’s different,” Magomedov explained via a Russian translator. “I’ve had 19 fights, and every opponent tried to take advantage of that—didn’t work out for them.”
He continued, “Bisping motivates me because he’s traveled this path before. He set an example; it’s easier to follow someone than to stumble around in the dark. His story shows anything is possible if you keep pushing forward.”
Magomedov entered the UFC in 2023 with plenty of buzz, boasting an undefeated record in MMA and kickboxing. After defeating Michal Oleksiejczuk last August, he made a surprising callout of Nick Diaz, who is set to fight Vicente Luque at UFC 310.
He explained why he suggested that matchup and touched on potentially facing Kevin Holland.
“The Nick Diaz callout was just a shot in the air,” Magomedov admitted. “He’s not at the level for title fights right now.”
“As for Kevin Holland,” he added, “I’ll reach his level one day. We’ll see who’s tougher; whoever stands last wins.”
To climb the middleweight ranks, Magomedov must overcome Petrosyan—a skilled kickboxer known for being tough competition. Having trained together before, Magomedov knows Petrosyan well but admits uncertainty about what will happen come fight night.
“Honestly,” Magomedov said, “I’m not planning any specific moves or strategies. Anything can happen inside the octagon. That unpredictability is what makes it exciting.”