Zabit Magomedsharipov returns: what to know before RAF Abu Dhabi
The former UFC featherweight, unbeaten in six Octagon fights, faces Giga Chikadze at Etihad Arena on 14 November.
Zabit Magomedsharipov is back on a big stage. The Russian has signed a four-fight deal with Real American Freestyle, his manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie, as reported by MMA Sucka, and he faces Giga Chikadze in a welterweight crossover at RAF Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena on Saturday 14 November.
Now 35, Magomedsharipov is a former ACB featherweight champion with an 18-1 professional MMA record. He went 6-0 in the UFC, with a decision over Jeremy Stephens and three stoppages among those wins. His last MMA fight was in 2019, a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar at UFC Moscow.
He never fought again in the UFC. A planned 2020 bout with Yair Rodriguez was cancelled after Rodriguez was injured, he was removed from the UFC rankings for inactivity in 2021, and he retired from the promotion the following year, citing serious health problems, Lowkick MMA reported.
His comeback began in August, when he headlined ACBJJ 22 in Istanbul in a grappling match against UFC featherweight Youssef Zalal, then ranked No. 8, and won by unanimous decision. It was his first competitive outing in about seven years.
Chikadze is a former kickboxing world champion from Georgia who opened his UFC career with seven straight wins, though he has lost his last four Octagon appearances. Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington headlines the card.
Real American Freestyle Abu DhabiSat 14 Nov · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: MMA Sucka, Lowkick MMA, Gulf News
