5 UFC past fighters you've probably forgotten about

#3 Rashid Magomedov

Rashid Magomedov ended his UFC tenure with a 5-1 record

Just one of numerous fighters from Dagestan to be signed by the UFC between 2013 and 2015, Rashid Magomedov made his debut as a Lightweight at UFC 169 in February 2014, beating the future Anthony Rocco Martin by decision in an entertaining fight. A skilled striker, Magomedov followed that with another 3 wins, before a loss to Beneil Dariush halted his streak.

‘The Highlander’ did pick up another UFC win over Bobby Green, but his contract expired after the fight and the UFC surprisingly chose to let him move to the Professional Fighters League as a free agent, ending his tenure in the Octagon with a solid 5-1 record. So why was he let go, and why has he been forgotten?

You can probably put this one down to Magomedov’s poor scheduling; after defeating Elias Silverio in December 2014, he took almost a year off before his next win over Gilbert Burns in November 2015. And he was then shelved for another year before his loss to Dariush. Such a sporadic schedule is no way to become remembered – let alone popular – with the fans.

Throw in the fact that despite being an incredibly skilled striker, Magomedov’s fighting style was that of a patient counter-puncher who tended to win by decision – his lone TKO win came 3 seconds before the final buzzer – and it’s easy to understand why nobody remembers him 2 years after he left the UFC.