Introduction
Thursday, July 23rd, Russian welterweight prospect Shamidkhan Magomedov will be in action for UAE Warriors, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Evgeny Morozov. He will be looking for another win, as Magomedov looks to inch closer to a UFC contract. He represents K Dojo Warrior Tribe, a strong camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Offensive Grappling: Magomedov is best known for his ability to score the takedown and outwrestle his opponents. He has excellent control on the mat, where he employs destructive ground-and-pound that can not only score points, but score the finish as well. In addition to that, he advances through his opponent’s defenses quickly and efficiently, where he can get to a position to finish bouts. He has four wins by way of tapout, all of which have come by way of rear-naked choke.
Striking Fundamentals and Power: Magomedov is typically seen as a stereotypical Russian wrestler, but he’s actually a very solid striker as well. He does the little things well and is fundamentally sound. In recent years, he has even added some flare to that, as seen in his head kick knockout of Marcos Santana in his most recent bout. He uses his striking as a set up to his takedowns, but he certainly has no problem engaging in a kickboxing battle if need be.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Grappling: Sometimes your offensive grappling is so good that you don’t entirely get reps on the defensive and it can end up being a small hole in your game. That appears to be the instance with Magomedov. His loss in 2021 in the Russian regional scene saw him get outwrestled and controlled by Rasul Mammaev, which was the first case we saw of him getting outworked in the grappling world. The other we saw was on The Ultimate Fighter, where he engaged on the mat with Omran Chaaban, where he was outmaneuvered and eventually submitted via anaconda choke. It’s hard to get Magomedov on the defensive when it comes to grappling, but it is the hole in his game opponents will have to try and expose.
Outlook
Regional Champion/UFC Midcarder: I think Magomedov has done more than enough to warrant a shot in the UFC despite his failed 2024 TUF bid. He has the all-around game and overall toughness to certainly match many in the UFC. On the road to get to the UFC, I think Magomedov is a guy that can rack up additional regional titles in addition to his LFA belt. He can do so with UAE Warriors given the opportunity, but first he has to get by tough veteran Evgeny Morozov.
MMA Intel 