Sharaputdin Magomedov has certainly made a name for himself during his brief career in the UFC, winning five of his six fights in the promotion so far. However, one thing that everyone has noticed about the Russian is the fact that he’s never been on a card that is held in America.

Four out of his six UFC fights to date have been in Abu Dhabi, while the other two have been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and his next fight, which takes place this weekend, is also taking place away from the United States of America.

When asked previously about whether Magomedov would be able to fight in the United States, UFC honcho Dana White said: “Can he? Probably not. We’ll keep him out here.”

This may seem like a strange comment about a fighter who is five from six in his UFC career, but Magomedov may not be able to fight in the US due to an eye condition.

Sharaputdin Magomedov’s Eye

The Dagestani suffered an injury to his right eye back in 2016, and a lack of care meant that he required eight surgeries to try to salvage his vision.

In an interview with ATHLETISTIC, he said: “Before the operation, I was mainly afraid of an injection in the eye. I watched this video. Very unpleasant. I thought that was the most boring thing ever. And there were such operations when an injection in the eye had to be made, where it was removed, one might say. At this time, local anesthesia is administered, but you feel everything.”

It is unlikely that the American fighting commissions would approve a one-eyed fighter, so it may be that Magomedov is forced to fight in the Middle East and elsewhere for the foreseeable future.

Other Controversies Surrounding Sharaputdin Magomedov

Perhaps White is also scared of the American backlash against supporting such a controversial figure outside of the Octagon.

In May 2022, Magomedov was involved in an assault at a shopping centre. He took offence to a couple kissing in public on an escalator, leading to an altercation in which he assaulted the boyfriend.

There was an initial confrontation after alighting the escalator in which the civilian threw the first punch, and then proceeded to somewhat hold his own against the MMA star. They were broken up by onlookers and security.

That was not the end of it, though, as Magomedov waited for the man by one of the exits to finish the business. The fighter threw a sucker punch that knocked the man to the ground, and he continued to stamp on his head. It was an ugly scene, with the civilian not being able to keep his guard up as he had done earlier.

With such controversial allegations, it would not be surprising if Dana White continues to utilise Magomedov’s services in the UFC away from the US, somewhat out of the limelight from the major events. This is also not the only time in which Magomedov has used his fighting background to embroil himself in controversy.

At the ADCC Southeast Asia tournament, he feigned a tap and continued to jump on and kick his opponent. He was not awarded the victory, and it highlighted his volatile nature in the Octagon. Allegedly, the cause of the anger towards his opponent was that he had gone back on his promise to use ankle locks before the fight. This has not been confirmed, though, so the lashing out could be due to the Dagestani just being a sore loser.

Leeds United are closing in on their first deal of the summer, as Harry Wilson is set to join the club, but they are quickly looking to back that up with another free agent arrival.

Daniel Farke has been pushing for some arrivals this summer to help back up a successful campaign where Premier League survival was confirmed.

Given the history of the club and the success of clubs elsewhere, the Whites will be dreaming of securing European football, and a move for Wilson could get them one step closer to that goal.

However, there’s another potential bargain deal on the horizon for Leeds, as the club eye up another potential free agent signing.

Leeds Continue Pursuits of Brandt and Charles

As Leeds close in on an announcement for Wilson to become the first signing of the summer, having become a free agent after leaving Fulham at the end of his contract, focus shifts to the next set of transfer targets.

Among them is Julian Brandt, as BBC journalist Adam Pope reports that the Elland Road outfit are continuing to explore a deal to sign the 30-year-old this summer.

The playmaker is a free agent after leaving Borussia Dortmund, and has drawn interest from Leeds to complete a potential switch to the Premier League.

The Whites face competition for his signature, with plenty of other teams also being linked with a deal to sign the attacking midfielder for a bargain.

It would add even more experience on top of Wilson, with two players who are now in the peak of their career and capable of competing at the highest level.

It remains to be seen whether Leeds can get a move over the line for Brandt, as the club look to kick on and climb up the table with experience.

Leeds United Transfer Balance

Leeds have departed from previous transfer strategies in going for two players around 30, but the pair will bring plenty of quality and experience, while the lack of a transfer fee will also help justify the moves.

However, there is still a balance to be had, and the club will be keen to avoid loading up the squad full of players in the latter peak of their career.

That’s where a move for Shea Charles comes into play, with the club recently having a £20 million bid rejected for the Southampton ace, with the 22-year-old having plenty of potential to grow further.

It remains to be seen whether any other targets will come under the umbrella of being a signing for the future, but the balance should stand the team in good stead for the future.

Jon Jones has come across many of the hardest hitters in UFC history. However, there is one man whose power bothered ‘Bones‘ more than the rest.

The 37-year-old, recognised as one of MMA’s all-time greats, built an illustrious career. After dominating the record books with UFC title wins (16) and being one of only a handful of fighters in history to hold world championships in two different weight classes, Jones has proven himself against some of the sport’s biggest names in their respective eras, including Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic, and Rampage Jackson.

Following two spells as the light heavyweight champion – from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020 – Jones moved up to the heavyweight division in 2023, claiming the gold with a victory over Ciryl Gane and later defending the title against Miocic.

Jones’ only UFC loss came via a controversial disqualification loss – and he has never been knocked out in his career. According to the man himself, though, that almost wasn’t the case.

Jon Jones Admits He Was Almost Knocked Out By Overhand Right

“The hardest punch I ever received was from a guy named Suga Rashad Evans,” he said via talkSPORT.

“He caught me with an overhand right, the same exact punch he hit Chuck Liddell with and dropped him, he caught me with that same punch.

“It wasn’t that he hit me so hard, it was the speed of the punch. It was almost like, you can tighten up, or you can just let your arm be loose and let it swing. It’s kind of like an overhand slap, bro, he hit me so fast, and I had no clue what it was.

Before the pair clashed for Jones’ light heavyweight title at UFC 145 in April 2012, the champion and Evans had shared a close relationship as training partners at Jackson Wink MMA. Evans even mentored a young Jones as he broke into the UFC limelight. However, tensions arose after Evans had left the gym in pursuit of establishing his own Blackzilians training centre in Florida in 2011.

The bitterness between the two further developed a year later as they would battle it out in the Octagon just a few short months later. Despite being staggered by Evans’ thunderous overhand right swing, Jones went on to dominate the rest of the fight, securing a unanimous decision victory and retaining his title.