In a middleweight bout on UFC Saudi Arabia Shara Magomedov fought late replacement Antonio Trocoli. Magomedov after a rocky start managed to secure a 3rd round KO over his opponent.
Magomedov vs Trocoli
This fight saw a rough start for Magomedov who in the opening seconds was rocked by a 1-2 and pressured to the fence. Shara then spent a decent amount of time being held against the fence by Trocoli the bigger man by far. However, eventually Magomedov made his way from the fence and landed a variety of kicks in the 2nd half of round 1.
The 2nd round also didn’t look good for Magomedov. Shara appeared tired in this round and continued to be pressured by Trocoli. Trocoli continued to land punches and hold Magomedov against the fence.
However, round 3 saw the tide turn for Magomedov as Trocoli himself began to tire. Magomedov although tired himself managed to make use of his kicks against a tired Trocoli. Shara was also able to open up with his punches. Magomedov eventually landed a big knee followed by a left hook which put the exhausted Trocoli on the canvas. After this the ref stopped the fight.
This was a must win for Magomedov if he wished to continue his rise in the UFC this was a must win. Although Shara pulled through with the win this time he showed some big vulnerabilities. Namely Magomedov showed he can be nulified by consistent pressure and effective grappling. Thankfully this time he pulled through but other opponents may not gas like Trocoli.
But, Shara Magomedov also showed some strengths in this fight. He showed he can can carry power into the later rounds and a strong resolve to continue when he’s losing. It’ll be interesting to see where the pirate kings UFC career will go and how he is matched up. He clearly has striking credentials but he is susceptible to grappling and pressure.
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