Zabit Magomedsharipov WILL make UFC comeback after pondering early retirement… with featherweight star’s manager claiming he is ‘on another level to Alexander Volkanovski’
- Zabit Magomedsharipov has been tipped as a future UFC champion
- But after an undefeated start, he was struck by illness, injury and bad luck
- It left Dagestani weighing up retirement but featherweight is coming back
- His manager Ali Abdelaziz says he is on another level to Alexander Volkanovski
Zabit Magomedsharipov is raring to make his UFC comeback after a nightmare outside of the octagon led to him considering retirement.
The hugely promising Dagestani fighter, tipped by many to be a future featherweight champion, last fought in November 2019 before injuries, illness and bad luck hampered him.
He was removed from the featherweight rankings by the UFC due to his lack of activity but is set for a comeback.
Zabit Magomedsharipov will not retire and is preparing to make his comeback this year
He has been sensational in the UFC but poor health and bad luck have delayed a return
Formerly ranked No 3 in the division, Zabit is once again entered into the US Anti-Doping Agency testing pool.
Over the past couple of years, Zabit has seen a scheduled bout with Yair Rodriguez fall off, suffered problems with his immune system and reportedly lacked motivation to compete anymore given his layoff.
But his manager Ali Abdelaziz has now told MMA Junkie: ‘Zabit is training. He is in the USADA program, but he went through some health problems.
‘He’s back training, and I think this is a conversation me and the UFC will have probably next week about Zabit to see what the future holds for him, and we’re going to see what happens.
Magomedsharipov was ranked No 3 in the division before his lengthy spell out of action
‘But I believe he’s one of the baddest men in the division. I believe he can be the champion tomorrow. Alexander [Volkanovski] is a great champion, but I think Zabit is on a different level.
‘It’s a conversation I need to have with [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby next week, and we’re going to figure out what Zabit wants to do also. It’s not just a UFC problem.
‘Zabit has to be like, ‘Hey, I’m ready to fight this month and this date for this much money.’ And now, I will talk to Sean and we’re going to figure things out.’
The 30-year-old is undefeated in the UFC and only has one loss on his overall record as a professional.
Since then, he has won 14 in a row and could well be in for a title shot with one more impressive victory under his belt.
Ali Abdelaziz (right) says he will be meeting with Dana White and Co soon to discuss options