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Coming off the primary lack of his profession, Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov (15-1) will look to rebound against Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9, one no-contest) at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. It’s time to proceed our UFC odds series with a Shara Magomedov-Marc-Andre Barriault prediction and pick.
Magomedov, 31, began his UFC profession with a 4-0 record within the Octagon before running into the same sort of Michael Page at UFC Saudi Arabia 2024. His undefeated record fell apart by the hands of ‘Venom,’ who outpointed him in a karate-based striking match. Nonetheless, before the loss, Magomedov picked up the perfect win of his profession with an exhilarating knockout of Armen Petrosyan.
Barriault, 35, is coming off arguably the largest win of his profession against Bruno Silva at UFC 315. The Canadian entered the bout on a three-fight skid but saved his job with a fast knockout just over one minute into the fight. The win bumped Barriault as much as 6-5 with one no-contest within the UFC, making him probably the most experienced opponent of Magomedov’s profession within the Octagon.
Listed below are the UFC Abu Dhabi Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Abu Dhabi: Shara Magomedov-Marc-Andre Barriault odds
Shara Magomedov: -625
Marc-Andre Barriault: +455
Over 1.5 rounds: -188
Under 1.5 rounds: +145
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Why Shara Magomedov will win
Magomedov isn’t any longer undefeated along with his loss to Page, but there may be a reason he’s a large favorite on this rebound attempt.
His point-fighting style, one which is clearly influenced by the likes of Stephen Thompson and Page, makes him one in all the trickiest fighters to cope with. Page was simply a uniquely poor style matchup as one in all the few fighters within the UFC who can match his footwork and speed.
Although Magomedov was visibly larger than Page, that factor doesn’t typically play into his fights. The largest advantage Magomedov has is his speed and range management.
Page was in a position to sustain with him of their fight, but Barriault’s flat-footed approach isn’t as well-suited. Barriault desires a phone-booth fight that permits him to trade within the pocket, but Magomedov must be too quick for him to have interaction with in that area.
He’s coming off a giant win, however the 35-year-old Barriault has otherwise been quickly approaching the top of his profession. Once known for his reliable chin that allowed him to have interaction in brawls, Barriault has been knocked out cold in his last two losses.
His most up-to-date loss was his most concerning as he was rendered unconscious with one punch by Dustin Stoltzfus, a fighter not known for his knockout power.
Why Marc-Andre Barriault will win
Magomedov is flashy when he’s given space, but he has shown very clear holes in his game. As quick and powerful as his kicks are, Magomedov doesn’t have much punching power, often forcing him to fight into the later rounds more often than he desires. Although still dangerous deep into the fight, Magomedov’s ending prowess is way less potent after Round 1.
Barriault isn’t known for his grappling, but he may have the sting in that department against Magomedov. ‘Shara Bullet’ has been outwrestled by fighters not known for his or her grappling before with Silva and Michal Oleksiejczuk taking him down 3 times each.
Barriault has not landed a takedown since 2020, but his film shows him as a far more competent grappler than Magomedov.
Against a kick-heavy striker like Magomedov, Barriault knows he needs to shut the space. If he can force Magomedov into boxing range, Barriault has more power in his hands and is more comfortable in that style of fight. Barriault isn’t often called a high-action striker but surprisingly lands 6.02 significant strikes per minute, which is greater than Magomedov.
Final Shara Magomedov-Marc-Andre Barriault prediction & pick
The UFC gave Magomedov back-to-back tests against high-level strikers in Petrosyan and Page, but they are actually back to giving him a matchup he can style in. Barriault has the large knockout of Silva that appears good on a highlight reel but is just 1-3 in his last 4 fights and has been finished in 4 of his last five losses.
After failing his test against Page, Magomedov gets the matchup he loves against a plodding striker. Magomedov, who hardly lets his heels touch the canvas is just too fast and tricky for midlevel power punchers like Barriault to determine. The larger cage matches his style perfectly as he uses every inch of the Octagon to his advantage to frustrate opponents.
The last time Barriault faced a Muay Thai striker just like Magomedov, he was knocked out in 16 seconds by Chidi Njokuani. His waning durability is a big reason why the matchup was made, but Magomedov has shown an inclination to point-fight within the UFC greater than he did on the regional circuit.
His stark wrestling deficiency appears to make him less hesitant to take risks as each of his UFC knockouts have are available the second half of the fight. ‘Bullet’ is being set as much as get one other finish, but his lack of aggression within the Octagon puts more value on the choice prop.
Final Shara Magomedov-Marc-Andre Barriault Prediction & Pick: Magomedov by decision (+200)
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