Zabit Magomedsharipov Says He’s Too Old to Return to MMA
Zabit Magomedsharipov has ruled out a mixed martial arts comeback, saying he is too old to return to MMA while still planning to compete in grappling. The former UFC featherweight told Red Corner MMA in Istanbul this week that the mat is where he still wants to test himself.
Magomedsharipov, 35, has not fought MMA since a unanimous decision win over Calvin Kattar on Nov. 9, 2019, in Moscow. He went 6-0 in the UFC and retired in 2022 with an 18-1 professional record.
That UFC run included victories over Jeremy Stephens, Brandon Davis, Kyle Bochniak, Sheymon Moraes, and Mike Santiago. He had already been Absolute Championship Berkut’s featherweight champion before reaching the UFC.
The promotion removed him from its official rankings on April 26, 2021, because of inactivity. He was ranked No. 3 at featherweight at the time.
A 2020 bout with Yair Rodriguez was canceled after Rodriguez withdrew. Magomedsharipov never fought in the UFC again.
His latest comments leave little space for another cage date. He is talking about grappling as a continuing career, not as a bridge back to MMA.
“I love to grapple. I love grappling, so I think I will keep competing. I’m afraid I’m a bit old for MMA at this point, but I can grapple,” Magomedsharipov told Red Corner MMA.
That is a direct answer to years of outside speculation about whether he would ever take another MMA fight. At 35, and nearly seven years removed from his last bout, he is describing MMA as a sport that no longer fits.
Red Corner MMA reported that he remains passionate about wrestling and grappling and wants to keep entering those competitions. His own words match that reporting.
The next test is already set. Magomedsharipov faces ranked UFC featherweight Youssef Zalal in a 155-pound grappling match at ACBJJ 22 on Sunday at Ora Arena in Istanbul.
Zalal, 29, is ranked No. 8 in the UFC featherweight division and holds an 18-6-1 MMA record. He last fought in April, when Aljamain Sterling beat him by unanimous decision over five rounds.
The pairing is Magomedsharipov’s first public contest since 2019. It also gives him a current UFC regular rather than a low-profile return match.
His first scheduled comeback did not happen. Magomedsharipov was booked to headline ACBJJ 21 against Raul Rosas Jr. on July 5 in Moscow.
He withdrew because of injury. His younger brother, PFL fighter Khasan Magomedsharipov, replaced him and was submitted by Rosas in a little more than five minutes.
Sunday’s Istanbul card is co-headlined by former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad against former OKTAGON champion Kerim Engizek. Magomedsharipov arrives this time as a grappler with a confirmed opponent and a clear public stance on MMA.
He also addressed the physical side of the layoff. He did not describe himself as faded.
“I also think that I’ve grown stronger since then. When I fought in the UFC, I lacked physique. I think if I competed now, it would be even easier for me. I feel great in the gym, and I feel stronger than back then,” he said.
Magomedsharipov is comparing the athlete in the gym now with the one who fought in the UFC. He is not using that stronger feeling as a reason to reverse his MMA decision.
The two comments sit together for a reason. He believes his body has improved, and he still sees MMA as the sport he is too old to chase.
That distinction is the news. Strength in training is his claim, and retirement from MMA is still his position.
Zalal is a serious first opponent under grappling rules. The UFC regular has multiple submission wins inside the octagon and is ranked in the same weight class Magomedsharipov once occupied.
Magomedsharipov has not competed in public since November 2019. How that gap looks against a ranked UFC featherweight is the question Sunday will answer.
He has already said he thinks he will keep grappling after this match. That is the future he is describing, not another run at 145 pounds.
The UFC featherweight division has moved on since he left the rankings. His latest interview makes it clear he is not trying to step back into that title picture.
Sunday is the next confirmed date. Magomedsharipov grapples Zalal at ACBJJ 22 in Istanbul, with more grappling on his stated agenda and no MMA return attached to it.