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Zabit Magomedsharipov Says UFC Blocked His Title Path Over Russian Champions

His remarks coincide with a reported July 5 grappling debut in Moscow.

Overview

  • Magomedsharipov, in comments reported Tuesday by multiple MMA outlets, claimed the UFC resisted giving him a title shot because Khabib Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan already held belts for Russia.
  • He said repeated cancellations of booked fights with Yair Rodriguez wore him down after several full camps and weight cuts, and he argued a promised title shot after a third pullout never came.
  • He last fought in November 2019 with a win over Calvin Kattar, was removed from the UFC featherweight rankings for inactivity in April 2021, and retired in 2022.
  • He has signed with the Russian grappling promotion ACBJJ, which reports a July 5, 2026 debut in Moscow at 154 pounds, and no opponent has been announced.
  • Outlets describe him as a major what‑if at 18-1 overall and 6-0 in the UFC, and his allegations reflect his perspective with no UFC response cited in the reports.