Shara Magomedov received quite the opportunity as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on very short notice. That was following the announcement that Nick Diaz would not be able to compete in his originally scheduled fight with Vicente Luque.
If one were to ask fans if "Bullet" made the most of his opportunity, they'd be split after his performance, which saw him get the decision win over Michał Oleksiejczuk.
For all that people have been previously impressed by Magomedov, things seemed to be a problem early on. The Dagestani had the better strikes and kept his distance, busting Oleksiejczuk open with an elbow. The Polish veteran, however, landed one punch that briefly knocked "Bullet" down.
Magomedov continued to outwork him with striking in the second round, and Oleksiejczuk didn't make much of the takedown he scored at the end of the frame.
Magomedov then cruised his way to a clear decision win, with two 30-27 scorecards and a 29-28.
Though the UFC has previously announced they intend to re-book Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque, Magomedov surprisingly called out the elder Diaz brother following his win.
Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov Calls Out Nick Diaz After Cruising To Decision Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
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Magomedov is now 3-0 in the UFC, defeating Bruno Silva at UFC 294 and finishing Antonio Trócoli just over a month ago in Saudi Arabia.
Oleksiejczuk, meanwhile, has now lost three straight and four of his last five.