Zabit Magomedsharipov has called a halt to his MMA career at just 31 years old.
MMA Fighting reports that the featherweight contender has informed the UFC of his retirement, well over two years removed from his most recent bout. Magomedsharipov had recently revealed on social media that he wanted to become a doctor.
Zabit made his UFC debut five years ago as the ACB featherweight champion, and hopes were high that he’d be a future contender. His first two bouts against Mike Santiago and Sheymon Moraes ended in submission finishes, as well as Performance of the Night bonuses. The highlight of his career was a rare Suloev stretch submission of Brandon Davis at UFC 228 in 2018.
In 2019, Magomedsharipov dispatched Jeremy Stephens and then took a three-round decision win over Calvin Kattar at UFC Moscow in November 2019. That proved to be the final fight of his career, as a planned showdown with Yair Rodriguez was cancelled in 2020 due to injury to Rodriguez. Career-threatening health issues specific to his immune system kept Zabit on the sideline and eventually off the UFC rankings due to inactivity.
Magomedsharipov leaves the sport with a record of 18-1, including matching 6-0 marks in the UFC and in ACB. With his health issues greatly impacting his otherwise stellar career and rise up the featherweight ranks, he’ll undoubtedly and unfortunately be one of MMA’s great “what-if?” stories. All the best to him in his next venture post-MMA.
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