'Opening new doors': Rising UFC star Shara Magomedov crafted image for Hollywood, fight success

Take one look at Shara Magomedov, and you’ll see he’s one of the most unique characters in MMA – a combat sport full of some of the most interesting people on Earth.

Just two fights into his UFC tenure, Magomedov (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has already caught the attention of fight fans around the world. He returns Saturday at UFC on ABC 7 in his highest-profile fight to date: his first promotional co-main event vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC).

Ahead of this fight, Magomedov flew to Hollywood to feature in an unannounced film project. He spent seven days there, eagerly awaiting the next fight call. He even used live movie props to craft a fighter callout video.

“It doesn’t matter where I’m at or what I’m doing,” Magomedov told MMA Junkie and other reporters Thursday at a pre-fight news conference in Abu Dhabi. “I’m always thinking about the fights. This is my No. 1 goal about everything. Even when I was on set, this is the one thing I think about. I was waiting for the phone to ring. I was waiting for Ali Abdelaziz, my manager, to call me. Even at one point, I took the iguana that was being used on set, and I called out Kevin Holland with it.

“So I always think about the fights. This is my No. 1 goal, no matter what I do. This is what I eat, live, and breathe. I’m concentrating on fights moving forward. First, I would like to become the people’s champ. Then obviously the goal is to be crowned champ, get the gold, and get the main bounty, which is the belt.”

Whether it’s his resemblance to a pirate, his kick-heavy fighting style, or something else, Magomedov has made himself a promoter’s dream – and apparently a director’s, too.

“This is just the way I’ve chosen myself and ever since I’ve chosen this way, it was a path that I was on,” Magomedov said. “You can take this path, another path opens up. You take another path and the next path. So no, this is something we do ourselves. We improvise. We have this image and we’re going to keep moving with it. This is not a PR manager that’s working for us. We don’t have one like that. It’s just something that we’re moving along with our own story and we’re going to keep opening new doors.”

Extracurriculars aside, fighting is paramount for “Shara Bullet.” Through two UFC fights, he thinks he’s showed the world only a fraction of what he’s capable of. He hopes Saturday’s performance is more reflective of his entire skill set and abilities.

“I don’t I’ve showed even half of my potential,” Magomedov said. “I’ve have difficulties preparing for my first two fights. There hasn’t been enough time to prepare fully. But now with the opportunities the UFC has been given me, I’ve been able to prepare better, to be in better shape, and I’m sure I’m going to show exciting fights. I’m going to make sure I show exciting wins going forward.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.