Shara Bullet Magomedov set for UFC comeback on July 26 after first career loss

Last weekend, the UFC confirmed its return to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 26. The main event of the evening will be a middleweight showdown between former UFC champion Robert Whittaker and experienced Dutchman Reinier de Ridder.

According to MMA Fighting, popular middleweight fighter Shara "Bullet" Magomedov (15-1) is returning to the Octagon to face Marc-Andre Barriault.

After drawing significant attention with his intimidating look and pirate persona, the Dagestani fighter began backing it up with performances inside the cage. Most notable was Magomedov’s memorable double spinning backfist knockout of Armen Petrosyan last October.

The footage of that knockout circulated for days in MMA circles, with seasoned fans ranking him among the greatest talents the sport has seen.

However, Bullet suffered his first professional defeat in February, losing to Michael "Venom" Page by unanimous decision after three rounds.

A disappointing display in Saudi Arabia dented the hype surrounding Magomedov, but he's confident he can win the fans back with a strong showing at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26.

The Dagestani, visibly disappointed, said he would never fight again after a loss.

"I've never felt this bad in the cage. My legs were giving out, my arms were weak, and I had a lot of health issues that I don't want to reveal. It was a series of issues that affected my performance," Bullet said.

Barriault (17-9) is coming off an impressive first-round knockout of Bruno Silva last weekend at UFC 315, which snapped a three-fight losing streak. The 35-year-old has 15 appearances in the organization, with a record of six wins, eight losses, and one overturned match.

The UFC also announced three more fights for the Abu Dhabi event. Ranked fighters Nikita Krylov (30-10) and Bogdan Guskov (17-3) will fight in the light heavyweight category, while Asa Almabayeva (21-3) and Ramazan Temirov (19-3) will compete in the flyweight category. Also, Ibo Aslan (14-2) and Billy Elekane (7-2) will fight in the light heavyweight category.