UFC Fight Night: Michael Bisping relishing 'brilliant' Shara Bullet Magomedov v Michael Venom Page Saudi Arabia showdown

Updated 28/01/2025 at 10:20 GMT

Anticipation is growing ahead of UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia, with Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov set to take on Michael 'Venom' Page in what promises to be an absorbing co-main event. Michael Bisping and Nick Peat are intrigued to see how the two fighters' styles will compare in the Octagon. The card is headlined by Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov on February 1.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Shara Magomedov of Russia reacts after a knockout victory against Armen Petrosyan of Russia in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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Michael Bisping is ready for a blockbuster showdown between Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia.

The two fighters will battle it out in an intriguing middleweight bout ahead of the main event between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov - with the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Bisping praised the qualities of both fighters and highlighted Magomedov’s stunning knockout win over Armen Petrosyan last time out.

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"Michael 'Venom' Page is a special human being, a special martial artist," Bisping said. "It's just fascinating to watch and to see him operate, and you can say the exact same thing for Shara 'Bullet'.

"Last time out, Armen Petrosyan, we saw it in Saudi Arabia. My word, what a knockout. It was a move we'd never seen; we called it the Shara shot, the double spinning thing, whatever you want to call it, but that's what he does.

"He knocks a lot of people out, OK. These guys are going to stand there, go toe-to-toe, and we are finally going to see what MVP [Michael ‘Venom’ Page] can do on the feet because he fought Ian Machado Gary, who wrestled him and took him down.

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"Even Kevin Holland tried to take him [Page] down. That's what people try and do because it's mixed martial arts.

"But Shara 'Bullet' is going to say, ‘OK, hit me with your best shot, baby, because mine's better than yours.

"These boys are bringing the guns, and it's going to be brilliant - a dust up in the desert."

Nick Peat echoed Bisping’s sentiments and stressed it should be no surprise to see Page make the step up from welterweight (170lbs) to middleweight.

When asked if he was surprised, Peat replied: "No, because he's kind of done this throughout his career.

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"He has fought in different weight classes before, he's mixed it up and is a true martial artist. If, if he likes the sound of the fight, if he thinks stylistically that's a fight that suits him, regardless of weight class, he's going to go for it.

"I think he's looked at this fight and reflected on the fight with Ian Garry, who didn’t want to use any striking.

"Now he’s up against Shara 'Bullet', who has a Russian-Thai boxing influence and will stand up striking heavy with an imaginative and innovative style that’s very heavy-handed.

"He will want to match up his kung-fu style against that.

"I think it's a fascinating and brilliant fight for both of them."

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