Sean Strickland responds to 'Shara Bullet' rant: 'It makes me laugh'

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has dismissed Sharabutdin Magomedov's recent verbal attacks with good humor. "Shara Bullet" launched an unprovoked tirade at Strickland after defeating Strickland's teammate Michel Pereira via unanimous decision at UFC Baku last weekend. Magomedov, who improved to 17-1 in the UFC with six wins, claimed that Strickland is a "domestic champion" afraid to defend his title outside the United States and suggested the reigning champion would avoid fighting him overseas.

Strickland, who captured the middleweight title last month in a stunning upset victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to the unranked middleweight's callout. "It makes me laugh. Bro you fought my teammate... There are levels to this haha," Strickland wrote, making clear he viewed Magomedov's criticism as premature given that the Azerbaijani fighter has yet to secure an official ranking at 185 pounds. The reigning champion's record now stands at 31-7 following his second title run, and he appears unbothered by the rising contender's attempt to build momentum through verbal sparring rather than proven achievements at the highest level.