UFC Saudi Arabia co-headliner, Shara Magomedov has revealed he dealt with a “nightmarish health condition” in the run-up to his clash with Michael ‘Venom’ Page overnight, which saw the Russian handed the first defeat of his professional mixed martial arts career.
Magomedov, who returned to action overnight in a middleweight clash with veteran striking ace, Page, was bested over the course of three rounds by the London Shootfighters staple, in a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) defeat to the former Bellator MMA title challenger.
And with his loss, Magomedov was beaten for the first time in his Octagon tenure, following a string of impressive wins over Bruno Silva, Antonio Trocoli, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Armen Petrosyan.
Shara Magomedov reveals “nightmarish” health scare ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia
However, in the aftermath of his premiere career setback, Magomedov has claimed a “nightmarish” health issue affected him in the lead-up to his fight with British kickboxing talent, Page.
““The pirate sails into the harbor, but I will return! Shara Magomedov posted on his official Instagram account. “I knew all the risks when stepping in with such a nightmarish health condition and preparation. I felt that despite everything, I could still win—but it didn’t work out, and that’s it.
“Thank you to the @ufc organization for this opportunity and to everyone involved. I wanted to put on a show and meet expectations without canceling the fight. Thank you to everyone who stands by me in any situation! Alhamdulillah.”
With last night’s win, Page turned in his second Octagon success, following an April debut last year against Kevin Holland in a debut unanimous decision win.
In between that and last night’s success, Page dropped a unanimous judging loss against then-unbeaten Irish contender, Ian Garry.
