Ali Abdelaziz says that there is nothing preventing Sharabutdin Magomedov from competing in the United States
Sharabutdin Magomedov is the latest Dagestani sensation, but there were fears that he wouldn't be able to compete in the United States as a UFC fighter. However, the unbeaten middleweight's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, debunked those rumors, informing renowned MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter.
Bronsteter took to X/Twitter to share a picture of Magomedov at the recent UFC Hall of Fame ceremony, with the post accompanied by text that summarized the information that Abdelaziz provided him with.
"Shara Bullet is here at the UFC Hall of Fame. I'm told by his manager @AliAbdelaziz00 that there is nothing preventing Shara from competing in the United States and that he had a great meeting with Dana White this week."
This comes as positive news for Magomedov, who competed recently at UFC Saudi Arabia, where he TKO'd Antonio Trócoli in round three. However, the win was not without controversy, as Magomedov grabbed the fence to stop a takedown, but was hardly given a warning from referee Marc Goddard.
It is notable, though, that Magomedov has never competed on American soil in any promotion he's been signed to. The undefeated 185-pounder has only competed in China, Russia, Brazil, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. As far as when he will make his American debut, that remains to be seen.
For now, though, it seems like the UFC is intent on building his starpower in the Middle East, where the Muslim-majority population is bound to throw their support behind him whenever he fights there, especially if he continues winning.
Sharabutdin Magomedov doesn't have problems fighting on American soil, but another middleweight might
While Ali Abdelaziz has calmed fears about Sharabutdin Magomedov's alleged inability to fight on American soil, there is another unbeaten middleweight who may not be able to secure an American VISA, and that is Khamzat Chimaev. 'Borz's' affiliation to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov has led to tremendous scrutiny.
Due to the various human rights abuses attributed to Kadyrov, the Chechen strongman has been sanctioned. By extension, it appears that Chimaev has been barred as well due to his strong association to Kadyrov, with whom he is often pictured.