Shara Magomedov calls Sean Strickland 'domestic champion'

Shara Magomedov dismissed middleweight champion Sean Strickland as a fighter who refuses to leave his home country. MMA Mania reports that Magomedov called Strickland "just a domestic champion" after his decision win over Michel Pereira at UFC Baku.

Magomedov cannot compete in the United States because he is blind in one eye, a condition that bars him from state athletic commission approval. Strickland has said repeatedly he will not fight outside America while he holds the belt, a stance that creates an obvious roadblock for any potential matchup. "He's like a domestic champion. Just a home boy who acts like a big hero in his gym," Magomedov told Red Corner MMA, per the report. "If they invited him to Azerbaijan he wouldn't come, because he's scared."

Strickland's refusal to travel complicates title picture

Strickland fought twice each in Australia, Brazil, and Canada earlier in his UFC run but has drawn a line at further international commitments. Magomedov suggested Strickland would demand extra security if he ever agreed to compete in Abu Dhabi. "Most likely he won't even go there," Magomedov said, according to the outlet.

Magomedov also responded to footage of Strickland training with Pereira at Xtreme Couture, where the champion threw spinning strikes in an apparent imitation of Magomedov's signature style. "I don't think he can do it like me," Magomedov said. "It was an imitation, if a pale one."

Magomedov improved to 6-1 in the UFC with a unanimous 29-28 decision over Pereira in Baku but remains unranked at middleweight. Neither fighter held a spot in the official top 15 entering the bout, leaving Magomedov outside title contention for now.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Shara Magomedov disses America-only Sean Strickland: ‘He’s just the domestic champion’