From a football team ejection to the UFC's middleweight ranks
In short: Sharabutdin Magomedov’s path to professional fighting began not in a gym, but as a consequence of a heated argument on a football pitch. After being kicked off his team, he pivoted to martial arts, eventually navigating severe physical injuries and financial debt to reach the world's premier MMA stage.
Born in Dagestan in 1994, Magomedov first explored sports through football before an altercation led him away from the pitch. He transitioned into boxing, where he found early success, before moving to Moscow to specialize in Muay Thai. His proficiency in this discipline earned him a Russian championship and a professional record of 18–2. However, his career faced a significant setback during training in Thailand, where a severe eye injury eventually left him blind in one eye.
Despite the physical toll, Magomedov continued to compete in high-impact styles, including Lethwei—a sport he describes as the toughest due to its bare-knuckle rules and allowance of headbutts. He secured the Eurasia Lethwei Champion title by finishing all five of his sanctioned bouts in that discipline. Financial pressures also shaped his trajectory; low pay and mounting debts in Muay Thai eventually forced him to cross over into mixed martial arts (MMA).
Magomedov entered the UFC with an 11–0 record from Asian organizations like Chin Woo Men and The King Fighting Championship. His tenure in the UFC has been marked by high-level performances, including a double spinning backfist knockout against Armen Petrosyan in October 2024, which earned him a Performance of the Night award and a #7 ranking for Knockout of the Year. While he faced his first MMA loss to Michael Page in February 2025, he remains a prominent figure in the middleweight division as of late 2026.
His career has not been without controversy or physical setbacks. In March 2022, an incident involving an assault at a shopping center in Dagestan led to legal proceedings and a temporary postponement of his UFC contract. He also underwent nose surgery in late 2025, illustrating the constant physical maintenance required by elite combat athletes.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Sharabutdin Magomedov
- Also: Wikidata — Sharabutdin Magomedov · CC0
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