Zabit Magomedsharipov ends nearly 7-year MMA hiatus, faces Giga Chikadze at RAF Abu Dhabi
Zabit Magomedsharipov is coming back.
Promotional officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that the former UFC featherweight contender is set to face fellow UFC veteran Giga Chikadze at RAF Abu Dhabi. The event takes place Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena.
Magomedsharipov has not fought in nearly seven years. His final MMA bout came in November 2019, when he defeated Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Moscow.
The fight is not confirmed beyond the promoter's statement to MMA Fighting, but the matchup itself is a significant one for the featherweight division.
THE COMEBACK FIGHT
The 35-year-old went 6-0 during his UFC run, including a victory over Jeremy Stephens and a trio of stoppage wins. His return marks one of the longest layoffs in recent featherweight history.
Chikadze, meanwhile, is a 13-fight UFC veteran who began his promotional run with seven straight wins. That streak ran into Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in January 2022, where Chikadze lost a lopsided unanimous decision in his first UFC main event.
Since then, "Ninja" picked up a win against Alex Caceres, but has since dropped his past four octagon appearances. The two fighters' trajectories have moved in opposite directions since they shared the stage in the UFC featherweight division.
No details on fight weight class or rounds are confirmed, though the matchup pits Magomedsharipov's unblemished UFC record against Chikadze's recent struggles. Both men have a history with Kattar, who defeated Chikadze in 2022 and lost to Magomedsharipov in 2019.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE RETURN
The numbers tell the story of two careers pointed in opposite directions. Magomedsharipov's last MMA fight came in November 2019, when he defeated Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Moscow — nearly seven years before this bout.
He left the UFC with a perfect 6-0 record, including three stoppage wins. Among those victories: a decision over Jeremy Stephens and the Kattar main-event win. He never lost inside the octagon.
Chikadze's trajectory is steeper in the other direction. Across 13 UFC fights, he won his first seven straight before Kattar handed him a lopsided unanimous decision in January 2022 — his first UFC main event. He rebounded with a win over Alex Caceres, then dropped four consecutive octagon appearances.
Those four losses have not been detailed in the source material, and no official rankings or title implications are mentioned. The matchup is simply two featherweight veterans meeting at RAF Abu Dhabi, with Magomedsharipov's unblemished record colliding against Chikadze's recent slide.
The shared history with Kattar frames the fight neatly: Kattar beat Chikadze in 2022 and lost to Magomedsharipov in 2019. Now the two men who faced the same opponent in different eras finally meet each other.
A CARD WITH BIG NAMES
The return matters beyond the two featherweights because RAF Abu Dhabi is already carrying championship weight. The card is headlined by a cruiserweight crossover title match between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev, a bout that puts a familiar UFC rivalry on the wrestling stage.
Jordan Burroughs also has his opponent locked in. He'll face Azamat Nurykau, a rematch of their 2019 world championships clash — one Burroughs won in dramatic fashion. That history gives the event a second grudge match without a single punch thrown.
Magomedsharipov's comeback adds a major featherweight name to a stacked card. A fighter who left the UFC unbeaten, with a finish rate of three stoppages in six wins, now shares a bill with Olympic-level wrestling talent and a cruiserweight title fight. That is a deep lineup for any event, let alone one built around a former UFC prospect's return.
No confirmation exists of any title stakes or special rules for Magomedsharipov's fight. The bout is booked, the venue is set, and the rest is left to the cage.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Fans will get their answer on Nov. 14, when Magomedsharipov and Chikadze meet in a featherweight bout at Etihad Arena. The venue is set, the opponent is locked in, and the long wait finally ends that night.
The card around them is loaded. Covington vs. Chimaev headlines as a cruiserweight crossover championship match, while Burroughs vs. Nurykau adds the wrestling rematch that has been building since 2019. Magomedsharipov's return slots into a lineup that already carried two major draws.
Broadcast details have not been confirmed, and the fight order is not in the source. Fans know where the event happens and who is on it, but the exact way to watch and where this bout lands on the card remain open questions.
What is certain: the date, the venue, and the names. After nearly seven years away, Magomedsharipov steps back into competition on a card that does not lack for storylines.
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