One of MMA’s biggest what-ifs is returning to combat sports competition. Former UFC contender Zabit Magomedsharipov announced Monday that he has signed with ACBJJ, the Russian grappling promotion that has featured UFC stars such as Arman Tsarukyan and Aleksander Volkov.
ACBJJ president Zaurbek Khasiev said Monday in a statement announcing the signing:
“Major decisions are made in silence. Negotiations are complete. Zabit Magomedsharipov joins ACBJJ. We are assembling the elite. Stay tuned.”
No further details were unveiled Monday regarding a date or opponent for Magomedsharipov’s debut.
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Magomedsharipov, 35, was once hailed as a blue-chip MMA prospect who many believed had the potential to be a future UFC featherweight champion. Standing 6-foot-1 with a 73-inch reach, the Dagestan native was an imposing 145-pounder who tore through the UFC’s ranks from 2017-19, winning all six of his bouts while defeating the likes of Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens.
Magomedsharipov was expected to face Yair Rodriguez in a potential No. 1 contender’s bout in August 2020, however Rodriguez withdrew due to injury and Magomedsharipov never again fought in MMA.
He was removed from the UFC’s featherweight rankings due to inactivity in April 2021 — Magomedsharipov was ranked No. 3 at the time of his removal — and subsequently confirmed his shocking retirement the following year due to a variety of health issues.
Because of the nature of his seemingly premature retirement, Magomedsharipov has long remained a question mark for MMA fans who never got a chance to see whether he’d fulfill his vast potential.
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In the years since his departure, Magomedsharipov has returned to MMA in a teaching capacity, serving as a coach for his younger brother, undefeated 25-year-old featherweight Khasan Magomedsharipov.
