UFC 308 Preview: Sharabullet Magomedov vs Armen Petrosyan Prediction and Analysis

In this fight between middleweight punching specialists, Sharaputdin Magomedov finally meets an MMA striker who can keep up with his kicks.

One of the most important pieces of advice for fighters faced with a thrust-heavy attack is to immediately hit them back. When kicking, a fighter stands on one leg, and many kickers simply don’t expect to be kicked back by their opponents.

In this fight, however, Magomedov will expect it. In his three previous UFC appearances, “Shara Bullet” has seen two fighters who go for the fences with wild punches and one who is a mediocre jiu-jitsu wrestler.

Now he faces another kickboxer. Armen Petrosyan (no relation to legendary kickboxer Giorgio) is 3-2 in the UFC, having lost only to elite grapplers Caio Borralho and Rodolfo Vieira. The Armenian-born fighter competed in Muay Thai and kickboxing for years in Russia, similar to Magomedov, before switching to MMA and making it to the UFC.

Expect a dynamic in this fight where Shara will once again try to circle around the outside while dealing damage with his flashy kicks. Petrosyan may not be the best pressure fighter, but in his performance against Christian Leroy Duncan he showed improved cage technique alongside his kicks. Now that Armen can fend off finishes with those powerful kicks (one of which earned him a UFC contract at DWCS), he’ll be even more dangerous against fighters who are willing to get on the back foot.

Every fight on UFC 308’s main card has the potential to be close and competitive; Shara vs. Armen is no exception. I expect an exciting kickboxing match in which Shara will discover that his unusual style is not perfect. Despite his kickboxing background, he could even be defeated by Petrosyan.

After all, the Armenian striker defeated CLD two fights ago, and no doubt he had to train his wrestling until his feet bled for his last fight against Vieira, a former ADCC champion.

Sharabullet can definitely be successful here. Petrosyan is more laborious while Magomedov explodes in his punches and covers large areas with his karate boxing style. But this makes him vulnerable to kicks, as mentioned above, and to left hooks, the mortal enemy of all karatekas.

After three UFC wins and 14 as a pro, Shara “Bullet” Magomedov’s time as an undefeated fighter may be coming to an end. Still, he’s a favorite in Abu Dhabi, so with a close decision, I won’t be surprised if this fight goes his way.

However, expectations for Sharaputdin in general need to be tempered as I believe his future lies more in being an unranked action fighter than a legitimate title challenger.