It was just a few fights into his UFC career when Zabit Magomedsharipov showcased exactly why he was widely regarded as a future champion.
When Zabit Magomedsharipov retired from the UFC in 2019, it came as a huge shock to the UFC fanbase, especially as he had just scored an impressive win over then-contender, Calvin Kattar.
His shock retirement from the sport to pursue a career as a doctor didn’t just leave fans devastated, but it also left Joe Rogan gutted, as he regarded him as a future champion in the promotion.
However, this past Monday, a potential Magomedsharipov UFC return surfaced when his teammate posted a video on Instagram of him training, with the caption, ‘He will be back soon.’
If the 34-year-old does in fact, return to the promotion, he could cash in on a previously offered title fight from Dana White, who attempted to tempt him back into action several times.
Zabit Magomedsharipov scored the rarest submission in UFC history
After debuting in the promotion in 2017, Zabit instantly showed how well-rounded he was, scoring back-to-back submission wins over Mike Santiago and Sheymon Moraes before being given a fight against Kyle Bochniak.
Bochniak was widely known for his dogged toughness, which he showed throughout his three round war against Magomedsharipov. In that fight, the Russian showed his incredible striking game off to the fans.
However, it was in his next fight against Brandon Davis at UFC 228 when Magomedsharipov really showcased his potential to the UFC fans.
After a dominant first round against Davis where he once again showcased his unique arsenal of striking, in the second round he secured an incredible outside trip, taking the fight to the ground.
He then took the back of Davis, threatening a rear-naked choke before patiently latching on to Davis’ leg at a completely unorthodox angle.
Magomedsharipov went on to pull Davis’ leg over his head as he secured an extremely rare Banana Split submission win, also known as the Suloev Stretch.
Zabit became only the third ever UFC fighter to win via this submission, but even more bizarrely, Aljamain Sterling became the second fighter to win with the submission, securing it on the exact same event.
Who could Zabit Magomedsharipov fight in his UFC return?
If the 34-year-old does return to the promotion, he will add some much-needed excitement to the featherweight division, especially after Ilia Topuria surprisingly vacated the title.
Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes are set to clash for the vacant title at UFC 314, and Zabit could be watching with a keen eye, potentially fighting the winner if he returns.
However, if he isn’t granted an immediate title fight, he could finally fight Yair Rodriguez after their scheduled fight in 2020 was canceled.