Abus Magomedov calls out Israel Adesanya after UFC Baku win

Abus Magomedov returned to the winning column at UFC Baku on Saturday with a devastating first-round submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk in middleweight competition. Magomedov dropped Oleksiejczuk with a brutal elbow strike before securing the finish with a guillotine choke, earning himself back-to-back wins and reigniting his momentum in the division.

Magomedov's resurgence is particularly noteworthy given his earlier struggles in the UFC. After opening his octagon tenure with a 1-2 record—suffering losses to Sean Strickland and Caio Borralho—he has now compiled a three-fight winning streak punctuated by only a submission setback to Joe Pyfer in his most recent bout prior to Saturday's performance. The win over Oleksiejczuk marks a significant statement.

Following the victory, Magomedov wasted little time in targeting high-profile opposition. He called out Israel Adesanya, the former middleweight champion, in his post-fight interview. While Magomedov expressed genuine respect for Adesanya's accomplishments and legacy, he pointed to past comments from "The Last Stylebender" who had struggled to recall Magomedov's name during an interview discussing potential opponents. "Now it's my time," Magomedov declared, signaling his belief that he possesses sufficient experience and maturity to compete at the championship level. Notably, Adesanya has struggled recently, currently on a four-fight losing streak following a stoppage loss to Pyfer.