Zabit Magomedsharipov wants 'special striker' Yair Rodriguez after UFC Fight Night 122 win

SHANGHAI – Highly touted featherweight prospect Zabit Magomedsharipov knows exactly who he wants to fight next after picking up his second octagon victory at UFC Fight Night 122.

Magomedsharipov (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who earned a third-round submission of Sheymon Moraes (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Pass-streamed card at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, is seeking a notable name at 145 pounds for his next out. He called out Yair Rodriguez (10-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who is No. 14 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings.

“I’ve proved myself in the top 15 at the least, and I believe I can give a fight to any (of the) top five in my division,” Magomedsharipov told MMAjunkie through a translator after his win. “If you ask me who I want to fight, I think I could fight against Yair Rodriguez. I want to fight with him because he’s a special striker, as well.”

Magomedsharipov put in a methodical performance against Moraes. He put Mike Santiago away with a second-round submission at UFC Fight Night 115 in January, and he followed it up with an anaconda choke finish of his Brazilian foe at UFC Fight Night 122.

“That was the plan,” Magomedsharipov said. “The was the plan for the night because he’s a very, very high-level striker. The plan was to take him down and work there.”

At 26, Magomedsharipov has gained a lot of fanfare through his two UFC fights and 10-fight winning streak overall. He’s already being pegged as a future title contender, and while that brings head expectation, Magomedsharipov said he’s ready to live up to it.

“No pressure,” Magomedsharipov said. “It motivates me because I know so many people round the world are cheering for me. I have so many fans. That kind of surprised me, but that motivates me more.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 122, check out the UFC Events section of the site.