Seven years have passed since Zabit Magomedsharipov last stepped into the UFC Octagon, and now the enigmatic featherweight is finally opening up about why he walked away from the sport at the peak of his career.
Back in November 2019, "Zabeast" was on a tear. His unanimous decision victory over top contender Calvin Kattar pushed him into the featherweight top five and put him within striking distance of a title shot. But that night would be his last inside the cage. What followed was a frustrating saga of canceled fights, broken promises, and ultimately, retirement.
In a candid interview with his new grappling promotion, Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Magomedsharipov revealed the real reason behind his decision to hang up his gloves—and it all comes down to one man: Yair Rodriguez.
"There were a lot of reasons, so many reasons," Magomedsharipov explained. "The UFC just couldn't make the Yair fight happen. I wanted to fight, but three or four times they'd postpone fights and we couldn't make a deal."
The Russian standout described a grueling cycle of preparation and disappointment. "All these times I was making weight, going through camps, flying out to America. By the time you get there, you've already been through so much—weight cut, training camp, everything. Then you arrive and two or three weeks before the fight, they tell you, 'That's it, he's injured' and postpone again. I'd go back home and start getting ready all over again. Imagine that about five times. I got tired of it. How much can you take?"
Magomedsharipov claimed there was a deal in place with the UFC: if Rodriguez pulled out a third time, he would automatically receive a title shot. But when that third cancellation came, the promotion instead offered him other opponents like Chan Sung Jung (The Korean Zombie).
The saga didn't end there. Rodriguez was briefly cut from the UFC for turning down the matchup, but by then, Magomedsharipov was dealing with his own health issues. By 2021, he was removed from his No. 3 ranking due to inactivity, and he officially retired the following year.
Today, the high-flying featherweight has found a new home in competitive grappling, recently returning to the mats as both a coach and competitor. While MMA fans still wonder what could have been, Magomedsharipov seems at peace with his decision—even if it came down to one opponent's repeated withdrawals.