UFC fighter Shara Bullet has revealed he spent approximately two weeks bedridden with dengue fever ahead of his fight against Barrio, suffering a 40-degree temperature, skin sores, and hair loss after being bitten by a mosquito during a training camp in Thailand. Despite his weakened condition, he traveled to Abu Dhabi and won the bout. He then underwent surgery immediately after the fight and spent two additional weeks unable to breathe normally during recovery.
Shara "Bullet" Magomedov has opened up about a harrowing health ordeal he endured in the weeks leading up to his victory over Michail Barrio, revealing he contracted dengue fever during a training camp in Thailand and spent roughly two weeks bedridden before the bout.
Magomedov described the illness as severe, reporting a fever reaching 40 degrees Celsius, skin sores, and significant hair loss following a mosquito bite sustained during camp. Despite arriving in Abu Dhabi in a physically compromised state, he pushed through and secured the win.
The complications did not end at the final bell. Magomedov disclosed that he went directly into surgery following the fight and then endured a further two-week recovery period during which he was unable to breathe normally.
Why it matters
- The disclosure reframes what appeared to be a straightforward victory, revealing the significant physical adversity Magomedov overcame to compete.
- Dengue fever carries serious medical risks including severe fatigue, hemorrhagic complications, and prolonged recovery, making his decision to fight and then undergo immediate post-fight surgery a notable health story within the sport.
- The timeline — two weeks ill, a fight in Abu Dhabi, surgery the same night, then two more weeks of breathing difficulties — raises broader questions about fighter health protocols and the pressures athletes face to compete while injured or unwell.
