Shara Magomedov delivered a Fight of the Night contender against Canadian powerhouse Marc-André Barriault at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
While Barriault held his own against Magomedov, pushing the pace and doing some solid clinchwork, the leg kicks of ‘Bullet’ were the story of the first stanza. That trend continued in the second as Barriault struggled to close the gap and get off any offense.
‘Powerbar’ finally broke through near the halfway point of the round, landing a vicious right hand that repositioned Magomedov’s nose. From there, Barriault took over, landing another big right before muscling the Dagestani down to the mat. Magomedov worked his way back up with less than a minute to go, landing some solid elbows in the clinch.
Barriault appeared to have gassed himself out with the grappling, allowing Magomedov to tee off in the final 20 seconds.
Magomedov’s momentum from the end of the second carried over into the third. Barriault went back to working in the clinch while ‘Bullet’ lit him up with a variety of strikes.
Magomedov capped off the round, taking the Canadian down and dropping some ground-and-pound just before the final bell.
Official Result: Shara Magomedov def. Marc-André Barriault via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Check Out Highlights From Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault at UFC Abu Dhabi:
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