Shara Bullet has disclosed that he contracted dengue fever during a training camp in Thailand ahead of his fight against Barrio, spending nearly two weeks bedridden with a 40-degree temperature, skin sores, and hair loss. He flew to Abu Dhabi in a weakened state, competed, and managed to win, but the ordeal was not over — he spent two sleepless days after the fight before undergoing a four-hour operation. Bullet says he could not breathe properly for two weeks following surgery before finally recovering.
Shara Bullet has revealed he competed at a recent Abu Dhabi event while seriously ill, disclosing a harrowing sequence of health setbacks that surrounded his fight against Barrio.
The lightweight contender said he contracted dengue fever during a training camp in Thailand in the lead-up to the bout. The illness left him bedridden for close to two weeks, battling a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, skin sores, and hair loss. Despite the severity of his condition, Bullet made the trip to Abu Dhabi and stepped into competition in a significantly weakened state.
He managed to secure the victory, but the ordeal did not end with the final bell. Bullet described spending two sleepless days after the fight before undergoing a four-hour surgical operation. The recovery that followed brought its own difficulties, with Bullet unable to breathe properly for two weeks after the procedure before his condition finally improved.
Why it matters
- The disclosure raises questions about athlete welfare and the pressures fighters face when deciding whether to compete through serious illness.
- Winning while battling dengue fever and heading straight into surgery adds significant context to Bullet's performance against Barrio.
- The timeline of events — illness, competition, and post-fight surgery — underscores the physical demands placed on fighters beyond what is visible inside the cage.
No verified career or ranking data for Bullet was available at the time of publication, but his account of the events surrounding the Abu Dhabi fight paints a picture of a competitor who pushed through extraordinary physical adversity to earn his result. The full extent of how the illness and surgery affected his preparation and performance remains a matter only he can fully assess.
