Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya isn't the only prominent name Shara Magomedov has his eye on following this past weekend's event.
Magomedov made a splash in his latest Octagon outing on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. In his third fight since June, the Dagestani was tasked with opening the UFC 308 pay-per-view main card opposite a fellow striking specialist in Armen Petrosyan.
Both men had their moments through a round and a half, but it was "Bullet" who closed the show in memorable fashion before the second horn. He connected with an innovative spinning backfist to send his Armenian counterpart to the canvas.
While the heights he can rise to on MMA's biggest stage remain unclear given his perceived grappling deficiencies, Magomedov has broken into the rankings this week and appears to be an entertaining addition to the middleweight top 15.
During his post-fight press conference at UFC 308, Magomedov called his shot for an opportunity to climb further up the ladder, reiterating his desire to meet Adesanya next time out.
Whether or not that ambitious request comes to fruition in 2025 remains to be seen. But should the promotion have other plans for "The Last Stylebender," Magomedov isn't short on alternative callouts.
I’m in no rush. I’m not running in front of the train. The only way for Israel Adesanya to avoid the fight with me is to retire," Magomedov said. "Of course I would like to fight Israel to prove that I’m the best striker in the division. But also, I would like to fight Marvin Vettori to prove that my wrestling is good. Those two names really excite me.
Besides them, guys like Kevin Holland, Michel Pereira," Magomedov continued. "Our middleweight division is full of predators and sharks, but I’m the only pirate.
Vettori, a former title challenger, hasn't competed since a decision defeat to Jared Cannonier in a June 2023 main event. He's gone 2-2 across his last four, leaving him at #7 in the rankings.
Holland and Pereira, meanwhile, are coming off more recent setbacks, with "Trailblazer" injuring his rib against Roman Dolidze in Salt Lake City earlier this month and "Demolidor" suffering a convincing headline loss to Anthony Hernandez at the Apex on Oct. 19.
Be it against one of those names or a different middleweight entirely, all eyes will no doubt be on Magomedov's next walk to the cage given the performance he put in at the Etihad Arena this past weekend.