Shara Bullet has opened up about contracting dengue fever during a training camp in Thailand ahead of his fight with Barrio, revealing he spent nearly two weeks bedridden with a fever of 40°C, developing sores, and suffering hair loss. He flew to Abu Dhabi still weakened but managed to win the bout. Bullet also disclosed that immediately after the fight he underwent a four-hour surgery and spent two days unable to sleep as his body remained in a heightened state.
Shara "Bullet" Magomedov has revealed he battled a severe case of dengue fever during his training camp in Thailand ahead of his fight against Iber Barrio, describing a grueling ordeal that left him bedridden for nearly two weeks.
Magomedov disclosed that his fever reached 40 degrees Celsius during the illness, and that he developed sores and experienced significant hair loss as his body fought the infection. Despite arriving in Abu Dhabi still weakened by the disease, he pushed through and secured the victory over Barrio.
The revelations paint a striking picture of the physical state Magomedov was in heading into the contest. Training camp is the foundation of any fighter's preparation, and spending a substantial portion of it unable to train due to a serious tropical illness would represent a major setback for any competitor at any level.
Why it matters
- The disclosure reframes the Barrio win as an even more significant performance, achieved under severe physical compromise
- It raises questions about how much Magomedov was able to prepare during a camp disrupted by nearly two weeks of illness
- The post-fight surgery, lasting four hours, suggests the physical toll of fight week extended well beyond the bout itself
Perhaps equally concerning is what Magomedov revealed about the immediate aftermath of the fight. He underwent a four-hour surgical procedure directly following the bout and then spent two days unable to sleep, with his body remaining in a heightened physiological state. The combination of dengue fever recovery, a competitive fight, and a lengthy surgery represents an extraordinary sequence of physical stress compressed into a short window.
No verified fighter record data was available for either Magomedov or Barrio in connection with this report.
