Shara Bullet explains how Michael Bisping inspired him to fight eye injury, according to Nick Diaz

It's no secret that “Shara Bullet” has struggled with an eye injury for years, and he took inspiration from a former UFC champion to deal with it.

Bullet – aka Shara Magomedov – opens the main card of UFC 308 this Saturday in Abu Dhabi with a middleweight clash against Armen Petrosyan. At the event's media day on Wednesday, Magomedov was asked what he has learned from the career of former UFC champion and Hall of Fame inductee Michael Bisping in terms of dealing with an injury he suffered since 2016.

Bisping suffered an eye injury after a headbutt from Vitor Belfort in 2013 and competed with a handicap until his retirement four years later. The condition didn't stop him from winning the UFC middleweight title, although it eventually progressed to the point where Bisping now lives with a prosthetic right eye.

So is Magomedov worried that his opponents know about this possible restriction?

“I think it's a little different because I had 19 fights in my career and every opponent tried to take advantage of that, but it didn't work out his way,” Magomedov said through a Russian translator.

“As far as Bisping is concerned, he is a motivation because he is someone who has already gone down this path. He has charted the path and given me an example, so following other people's paths is much easier than walking around in the dark. I think he motivates me and other people by saying that anything is possible. The most important thing is to keep your hands on it and keep moving forward and keep chasing your dream and then it will be possible.”

Magomedov joined the UFC in 2023 with much fanfare after competing in both MMA and kickboxing, entering the octagon with an 11-0 record before defeating his first three opponents for the promotion. After a decision win over Michal Oleksiejczuk last August, Magomedov made an odd comment about Nick Diaz, a 41-year-old fan favorite who is currently scheduled to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310.

He explained his reasons for the matchup suggestion and also touched on the possibility of facing two-division contender Kevin Holland.

“As far as Nick Diaz goes, that was kind of a shot in the air,” Magomedov said. “He’s not at the same level, he’s not ready to fight for title shots and stuff like that, so he’s not where he needs to be.

“When it comes to Kevin Holland, I think I'll get to him one day. I think I'll do everything I can to reach his level and fight him, and I think we'll see who's tougher. I think we’re going to do a lot of damage to each other and whoever has stronger bones will be the last one standing.”

If Magomedov wants to continue his climb up the middleweight charts, he will need to get past Petrosyan, a crafty kickboxer who has proven to be a tough opponent in the division. Magomedov has trained with Petrosyan in the past so he knows him well, but that doesn't mean he knows what to expect on fight night.

“To be honest, it’s not like I’m preparing a bunch of things in my head that I’m going to come out and show and do,” Magomedov said. “I don't even know what's going to happen. I think that every spark that is created, every lightning that is created within the octagon is very exciting. I don’t even really know what to expect from myself, so I think the interesting thing is that anything can happen on the night of.”