"Domestic champion" - Shara Magomedov lambasts Sean Strickland after beating Michel Pereira at UFC Baku

Shara Magomedov has sounded off on reigning UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

Magomedov also addressed his potential fight against Strickland, a polarizing UFC star whom he's been at loggerheads with for quite some time. 

The Dagestani striking savant is fresh off a unanimous decision victory against Brazil's Michel Pereira. They clashed in the co-headlining match of the UFC Baku event in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 27. 

Shara Magomedov had criticized Sean Strickland and Michel Pereira before UFC Baku

Incidentally, Sean Strickland happens to have served as one of the primary training partners for Michel Pereira in the Brazilian fighter's training camp for the Shara Magomedov matchup at UFC Baku. 

Heading into the event, Magomedov directed considerable criticism at both Strickland and Pereira.

On one hand, he acknowledged that Strickland is a hard worker but insinuated that he was surprised to see fighters like him become the middleweight champion. Also, he opined that the American attempted to mimic him in sparring to help Pereira but failed. 

On the other hand, Magomedov, who has often expressed his support for Palestine in the Israel-Palestine conflict, rebuked Pereira for his support for Israel.

For context, Pereira had previously carried an Israeli flag while walking to the octagon for his fight against Andre Petroski at UFC Vegas 81 in October 2023. He'd done so, citing that he had Israeli friends and was deeply affected by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israeli soil by Hamas and other Palestine-backed militant groups. 

Magomedov, for his part, labeled Pereira a hypocrite and accused the Israeli side of perpetrating a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. 

Shara Magomedov warns that Sean Strickland's time will come, lambasts the UFC middleweight champion

Shara Magomedov is known to be essentially blind in his right eye, owing to a training injury he suffered in Thailand during his Muay Thai career. His vision in the eye went from bad to worse despite surgeries and treatment. 

The condition with his vision has resulted in him primarily competing outside the United States of America, as athletic commissions in the U.S. wouldn't sanction him to compete on American soil. 

That notwithstanding, speaking to Red Corner MMA after beating Michel Pereira at UFC Baku, Magomedov addressed a possible grudge match between him and Sean Strickland. The 32-year-old stated: 

"He's just a w*ndbag. His time will come. And we'll meet in the octagon. There's where we'll find out. Even if he keeps talking trash, what should I do? Go to America to chase him? He's like a domestic champion. Just a home boy who acts like a big hero in his gym." 

Magomedov indicated that, for instance, if Strickland is ever invited to Azerbaijan, he wouldn't go there because he's scared and won't leave America. 

"Shara Bullet" opined that if a fight between himself and Strickland is booked, the latter would simply ask him to come to the U.S., as he knows Magomedov can't compete in the U.S.

Moreover, Magomedov added, "So he's just a domestic champion. If he ever comes to Abu Dhabi, he will ask for five security guards. But most likely, he won't even go there. Like many others, he'd be like, 'I'm an American, so I will only fight here.'" 

 

Watch Shara Magomedov discuss a potential Sean Strickland fight below: 

Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov says a fight with middleweight champion Sean Strickland is unlikely to happen.

“He’s just a domestic champion,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA after his victory over Michel Pereira.

“If he ever comes to Abu Dhabi, he’ll ask for five security guards. But… pic.twitter.com/PTdKowme2Y

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 28, 2026