Shara Bullet has detailed the severe illness he endured before his fight against Barrios, disclosing that he contracted dengue fever during a training camp in Thailand after being bitten by a mosquito. He spent approximately two weeks bedridden with a 40°C fever, skin sores, and hair loss, and then suffered a relapse before travelling to Abu Dhabi for the bout. Despite his condition, he went on to win the fight, after which he underwent surgery and spent two sleepless days unable to switch off physically from competition mode.
Shara "Bullet" Magomedov has revealed he was fighting dengue fever at the same time he was fighting opponent Barrios, disclosing the full extent of a serious illness that struck him during his training camp in Thailand.
Magomedov explained that a mosquito bite while preparing in Thailand led to a dengue fever diagnosis that left him bedridden for roughly two weeks. His symptoms were severe — a fever reaching 40 degrees Celsius, skin sores, and hair loss among them. The illness did not simply run its course before fight week. Magomedov suffered a relapse, meaning he boarded his flight to Abu Dhabi for the bout still far from full health.
Despite those conditions, he went on to win the fight against Barrios. The physical toll did not end with the final bell. After the contest, Magomedov underwent surgery and then endured two sleepless days during which his body remained locked in competition mode, unable to wind down from the fight.
Why it matters
- Winning a professional MMA bout while managing an active dengue fever infection and post-relapse symptoms underscores the extraordinary physical demands fighters absorb outside the cage.
- The disclosure adds important context to how Magomedov performed against Barrios and what his body absorbed across the entire camp-to-fight cycle.
- The post-fight surgery, combined with two days without sleep, signals a significant recovery period that could factor into his next timeline inside the division.
