SUMMARY
- The Russian made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 115, winning against Mike Santiago via submission.
- In an interview, Zabit Magomedsharipov was asked how long he had been training martial arts, estimating it to be 25 years.
Zabit Magomedsharipov is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of the UFC. The Russian made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 115, winning against Mike Santiago via submission. He was awarded the ‘Performance of the Night’. Zabit went on to win his next five fights, holding an undefeated UFC record of 6-0.
The Russian mixed martial artist was considered one of the most exciting prospects for the UFC. With elite striking and grappling, the fighter became a treat to watch. He was awarded two Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night awards during his UFC career. In his last bout, he defeated Calvin Kattar, headlining UFC Fight Night 163, and winning via decision.
In an interview, Zabit Magomedsharipov was asked how long he had been training martial arts, estimating it to be 25 years. The Russian replied, “Yeah something like that or more, yeah probably for 25 years. 25 years can you imagine time flew so fast”. Further, he was asked about his secret to success and being at the top.
Zabit replied by saying, “The secret of success, you know, I think it’s, I would answer, but people wouldn’t understand. You wouldn’t understand. What do you think is the answer?”. To this, the interviewer guessed it to be his discipline. He denied this profoundly by claiming, “No, it’s when you find the meaning of life”. This showed the UFC fighter’s zen and inclination towards spirituality.
Why did Zabit Magomedsharipov retire from the UFC?
Born in Dagestan, Russia Zabit Magomedsharipov started training in freestyle wrestling at the age of 10. He later trained in the Chinese kickboxing full-contact combat sport, Sanda. Before the UFC, Zabit fought under the promotion of Absolute Championship Berkut and was the Featherweight Champion. Later, he signed a four-fight deal with the UFC in May 2017.
He was then offered a multi-fight contract in 2018 after his win over Kyle Bochniak at UFC 223. Magomedsharipov was scheduled to fight Yair Rodríguez at UFC Fight Night 175 but it was cancelled due to a knee injury for Rodríguez. Due to being inactive for two years, the fighter was removed from the official UFC featherweight rankings while being no. 3.
The Russian fighter was diagnosed with health issues in 2021 related to his immune system, which ultimately required career-threatening surgery. His trainer, Mark Henry, communicated that he would be returning to the octagon later. Later in June 2022, Zabit officially retired from MMA due to health concerns, notifying the UFC and his fans about the same.
The featherweight had a huge influence on his younger brother, Khasan Magomedsharipov, who is also a mixed martial artist competing in Bellator. Zabit currently coaches Khasan for his career progression and is also open to competing in wrestling and grappling competitions. The Mixed Martial Artist could go down as one of the biggest “What Ifs” in modern MMA.