Matty Betss warned that the UFC is basically handing Shara Magomedov a showcase in Abu Dhabi and is betting the knockout instead of the +250 decision prop. He said Barriault’s durability is eroding—“Father Time comes for all of us”—and pointed to Bruno Silva’s alarming post-fight comments as an example of how quickly a veteran’s chin can disappear. Betss added that Gilbert Burns, a teammate of Barriault’s, still picked Shara because the Dagestani is simply too fast. Given Magomedov’s stick-and-move style, Betss expects Barriault to walk onto a head kick or straight left the first time he over-extends. With the UFC eager for a viral highlight and Barriault losing a step in the clinch, Betss is laying the juice on Shara inside the distance, calling the KO prop the cleaner path than chasing a fence-stalling 15-minute decision.

Bedtime MMA said Sharabutdin “Shara Bullet” Magomedov will win a clear 30-27 decision over Marc-Andre Barriault. The tout expects Barriault to open with calf-kicks, clinch pressure and takedown attempts, but labeled the Canadian too plodding to consistently track the younger speedster. Shara owns the sharper footwork, a major hand-speed edge and creative inside striking—jump knees, elbows and spinning attacks—that punish slower opponents when they level-change. Bedtime predicted Shara stuffs most early shots, pops right back up the one time he’s grounded, then increasingly chops Barriault with hard calf-kicks of his own while threading knees and uppercuts in the clinch. As the wrestling threat fades, Magomedov’s accuracy, movement and cardio allow him to dictate pace and distance for a comfortable unanimous decision; any ‘plot-armor’ scorecard bias was mentioned as icing for bettors backing the favorite.

Sniper agreed Magomedov should win but warned his $9.6K salary is unlikely to pay off because Barriault’s only realistic path is weathering round one and dragging Shara into lower-paced clinch exchanges. Given the -225 ITD line and Barriault’s history of three first-round KO losses (Chidi Njokuani in 0:16, Joe Pyfer in 1:25, Dustin Stoltzfus early), Sniper will cap Barriault at 5% ownership. However, he does not trust Shara to generate the 110-plus points needed at that salary, so he will be about half-field exposure to the favorite and redistribute the rest to higher-ceiling fights. The bout lands in his “vanilla wash” bucket— playable as last-man-in but nowhere near the four all-in matchups he is stacking this week.

Monk said Shara Magomedov is a clear salary trap at $9,600 on DraftKings. Magomedov averages only 92 DK points in victories and needed ten full minutes and two spinning-back-fists to stop Arman Petrosyan— his lone 100-plus score (106). In prior wins he posted 97 (Bruno Silva), 93.5 (Antonio Tricoli) and 74 (Michal Oleksiejczuk), numbers that rarely crack an optimal lineup at this price. Monk knocked Shara’s one-dimensional style: roughly 5.8 significant strikes a minute across all rounds, virtually zero takedown or control-time equity and a predictable need for open-space kickboxing. He added the Russian has limited depth perception after losing vision in one eye, which makes him hittable against a pressure clinch fighter. Monk still expects Magomedov to win, but he plans to be "well under the field," treating Barriault as the better DFS play if the Canadian survives the opening five minutes.

Michael Lurato backed Shara “Bullet” Magomedov despite the steep –600 tag and expects the finish to materialize after the 1.5-round mark. Lurato broke down the matchup: Bullet controls the “middle dance floor” with switch-stance kicking and awkward counters, while Barriault’s only reliable entry is bull-rushing straight lines into clinch-wall exchanges. That linear pressure leaves Barriault open to the same long-range strikes that dropped him early in recent losses, and Lurato questions whether the Canadian’s declining chin can hold up after three knockdowns in his last two defeats. Because Bullet typically waits out the first five minutes collecting reads before switching to sniper-counter mode, Lurato projects a KO or TKO midway through Round 2 or early Round 3 once Bullet has Barriault’s timing down. He cautioned that Barriault could become a live underdog if he survives the opening round and drags the fight into pocket-clinch brawls, but pre-fight he prefers Bullet ITD or using Bullet money-line as a modest parlay booster with other plus-money props.

THE MMA GURU dismissed Marc-Andre Barriault as a "lay-up" for Shara Magomedov and forecasted a flashy KO, probably a lead head-kick off the back foot. Barriault’s game—high-volume pressure with almost no one-shot power or consistent takedown threat—plays directly into Magomedov’s wheelhouse of sniping kicks and counters while moving backward. Guru noted that even the more dangerous, power-punching Michal Oleksiejczuk couldn’t survive that style against Magomedov on the regional scene, whereas Barriault rarely stiffens anyone despite relentless forward motion. Because Barriault can’t credibly threaten wrestling, Magomedov will be free to set traps, chop the legs, and time Barriault’s linear entries. Guru compared the potential finish to Ian Garry’s fade-away head-kick versus Jordan Williams, calling Magomedov an "industry plant" the promotion clearly wants to showcase. Recommendation: bet Magomedov KO/TKO and consider a head-kick specific prop if your book posts one.