UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen is confident that Sharabutdin Magomedov has the potential to become one of the biggest MMA stars.
Magomedov clinched a unanimous decision victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC Abu Dhabi last weekend, keeping his perfect record intact and moving to 3-0 in the UFC. His accomplishments are even more remarkable given that he battled back from a serious eye injury in 2016 that almost left him blind.
The Dagestani Lethwei fighter is one of the best strikers in the game. With his physical gifts, overcoming his disability, and a high aptitude for violence, Sonnen believes Magomedov has all the makings of a massive star.
In a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier, here is what Sonnen said while discussing Magomedov’s rapid rise.
“There’s something happening. When he comes on TV, there’s something happening. I might not know what it is, but he captivates me,” Sonnen said of Magomedov. “This guy is already a co-main event? That is an incredible career. He’s amassing a great record, because I’m not seeing all the skills there, because I don’t watch him and go ‘Wow, where has this guy been?’…when I look at ‘Bullet’, he belongs in big fights, he belongs on posters…
“I want to see this guy, I want to hear from this guy, learn about this guy. As far as the skills, I think he’s learning on the job, and he’s not the first guy that’s had to learn on the job. Israel Adesanya is about as complete of a fighter you’re going to find, but he wasn’t on Day 1. He had some holes. So if ‘Bullet’ is open to learning, absorb, take the criticism, take it to heart, he’s gonna have a fun future.”
Do you agree with Chael Sonnen?
