By Caoilte de Barra
Sharapduin Magomedov returns to the cage as a pro for the first time in nearly a year at Eagle FC 45, set to take place on Friday, February 18. The Bantamweight prospect was a stalwart on the amateur scene picking up National, European and World titles.
Upon his move to pro, he instantly found success and built up some valuable cage time, winning each of his first three fights in a different fashion.
Not long after his third fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov took over the promotion now known as Eagle Fighting Championship and Magomedov was soon signed to the show. The first card under the new brand was EFC 30, and Magomedov found himself high up the card. He instantly made an impact submitting then-undefeated Vyacheslav Svischev in the opening round. The win lined up a title fight early last year, where he subsequently suffered his first loss as a pro.
Magomedov will face undefeated Rashid Kurbanov, who also has had national amateur success. Speaking ahead of the fight, Magomedov believes he has addressed the mistakes from his loss.
“In my last fight, I made mistakes. We went through them with my coaches and rectified them.”
“All my focus now is on the next fight only. But strategically I’d like to inch closer to the championship fight, grab that chance and conquer that gold. But it’s too early to think about it. Feb 18 is what matters now.”
Eagle FC have recently hit the ground running in the USA. Their stateside debut saw them hold a quality fight card and have plenty of plans to return. Impressed with the move, Magomedov expressed that he would happily fight there.
“I’m happy that Eagle FC held its first event on US soil. Would love to fight there. If they offer it to me, I’ll gladly accept.”
Ahead of his fight, Magomedov spoke on his experience training with none other than UFC Bantamweight Champion Petr Yan over at Tiger Muay Thai.
“I trained alongside Petr Yan. He’s UFC champ and really one of the best fighters there are now. It enriched my experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity. He’s not only a great athlete but is always there to help.”
The amateur experience of Magomedov is nothing short of spectacular. His sensational run at amateur saw him win the 2017 WMMAA European Championships and 2018 IMMAF-WMMAA Championships in twelve months. Experience that Magomedov values highly.
“Undoubtedly, my amateur career provided me with priceless experience. I fought so many world-level guys. I’m thankful to the Russian MMA Union and WMMAA, to the coaches and the whole team for their support and opportunities. I wouldn’t be where I am now without those fights. It contributed greatly to my development.”
You can watch Sharapduin Magomedov’s return to the cage live and free on GoFLX.
