Shara Magomedov ahead of the middleweight clash against Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on July 26. Victor Besa / The National
Shara Magomedov ahead of the middleweight clash against Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on July 26. Victor Besa / The National
Shara Magomedov ahead of the middleweight clash against Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on July 26. Victor Besa / The National
Shara Magomedov ahead of the middleweight clash against Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on July 26. Victor Besa / The National

UFC Fight Night: Shara Magomedov ready for fresh start in Abu Dhabi


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

After coming up short for the first time in 16 fights, Shara Magomedov has gone back to the drawing board as he aims to regain his winning touch.

The popular Russian fighter, who is blind in one eye, lost by unanimous decision to Briton Michael Page in a middleweight co-main UFC Fight Night 250 card in Saudi Arabia in February.

It was his first defeat and certainly didn’t sit well with Magomedov, who returns to the octagon against Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault during UFC Fight Night at the Etihad Arena on July 26.

“That result was hard to swallow and put me back to where I started my professional career (in December 2017),” Magomedov told The National through his manager Gor Azizyan at the UFC Gym on Maqtaa Mall on Thursday.

“After that loss, I’m like have to restart everything. I felt I missed something in that fight. So, it was something that I learnt the hard way. It made me realise, perhaps, I didn’t work as hard as I had to.”

Shara Magomedov after his victory over Armen Petrosyan in their middleweight bout at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Shara Magomedov after his victory over Armen Petrosyan in their middleweight bout at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Barriault arrives with a 17-9 record. He recently registered a stunning win by knockout against Brazilian Bruno Silva in March. Magomedov is aware of the challenge.

“He’s very tough and this time I have come well prepared. I have something to prove for all my fans in the UAE and those flying over especially to see me fight. I want to put up a show for them,” he said.

“This time I don’t have any problems like the last fight. I have listened to my body and have done what I have to do.”

Magomedov is popularly called Bullet for his spinning double back fist that has often caught his opponents off guard. He created that move during his amateur fighting days.

“I have been doing the double bullet for about 10 to 12 years even though it has become more prominent in recent times,” he said.

“Yeah, this is called the double bullet shot. I was doing this in the amateur fights many times but it didn’t get famous until I started my professional career. But I have many options when I’m fighting.”

Magomedov spent over two weeks in Dubai where he has his training camp ahead of fights.

“I have a sponsor in Dubai and that’s where I have based my training ahead of my fights,” he added.

He has five eyes to see all around
Magomedov manager Gor Azizyan

“They love me there and I have a lot of followers. Likewise, I love Abu Dhabi as well, where I also have a big following. That’s why I love to come to Abu Dhabi and put a big show for my fans.”

Aside from his training and camps, Magomedov spends most of his time with his family – wife and two daughters, aged seven and five.

“Home and the gym is my routine. When I’m not training, I spend all my time with my wife and two daughters. I’m so blessed to lead a quiet family life from the income I make from my professional career.”

Magomedov’s career was almost over when he suffered an injury to his right eye during a sparring session in Thailand in 2018. He underwent multiple surgeries and lost more than three years to the injury.

“That’s an old story and I don’t want to talk about it any more. I’m back and I’m competing on the biggest stage,” he said when asked if fighting with one healthy eye was a hindrance.

His manager Azizyan then gestured to his own head and ears, saying: “He has five eyes to see all around. He’s come this far from it and it’s not a concern any more.”

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The years Ramadan fell in May

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1888

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

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Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records

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No_One Ever Really Dies

N*E*R*D

(I Am Other/Columbia)

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Updated: July 21, 2025, 7:05 AM