Zabit Magomedsharipov signs with RAF, but not for MMA — it's grappling
Zabit Magomedsharipov has signed a four-match deal with Real American Freestyle (RAF), his manager Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA informed MMA Junkie on Monday.
The 35-year-old will debut against an opponent-to-be-named-later on the promotion's Nov. 14 card in Abu Dhabi. His opponent has not yet been named.
A return to MMA seems extremely unlikely, according to the source.
WHY NOT MMA?
That UFC run was brief but unforgettable. From 2017 to 2019, Magomedsharipov captivated audiences with a finishing instinct and a flair that made every fight an event.
He walked away from the sport at 18-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the UFC. No losses, no downward slide — just a sudden stop at the peak of his hype.
The exact reasons for his MMA departure are not fully confirmed. According to mmajunkie.usatoday.com, Magomedsharipov has indicated health issues and a pursuit of other real-world opportunities contributed to his retirement, but the circumstances around his exit still remain a bit unclear.
What is clear is that the door on an MMA comeback appears shut. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, informed MMA Junkie that a return to the sport seems extremely unlikely — which only deepens the mystery of why a fighter with that record walked away.
For fans who spent years wondering what could have been, the signing with RAF does not answer those questions. It just confirms that the spinning back kicks and highlight-reel finishes are not coming back to the cage.
GRAPPLING RESUME
Magomedsharipov has competed sparingly in grappling in recent years, but his most recent outing was a sharp one. He defeated Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision at ACBJJ 22 in August.
That win stands as his latest competitive result, though no further grappling appearances beyond it are confirmed in the source. The four-match RAF deal suggests more bouts are coming, starting Nov. 14 in Abu Dhabi.
His numbers remain the stuff of MMA folklore. Magomedsharipov left the UFC with a perfect 6-0 record inside the promotion and an overall MMA mark of 18-1. Those stats, paired with his flashy finishing style, are why he still tops "what-if" lists years after walking away.
The grappling circuit offers a different kind of highlight. While fans may never again see him throw a spinning back kick in a cage, the jumping leg sweeps are reportedly still on the table.
FANS' WHAT-IF
Even in a sport full of premature retirements, Magomedsharipov remains a singular answer when fans debate the biggest "what-ifs." His perfect 6-0 UFC record and 18-1 overall mark were paired with a style that made every fight appointment viewing, which is why his name still surfaces in that conversation years after he walked away.
Fight fans may never again see him throw a spinning back kick to an opponent's face — the move that became his signature inside the cage. But the grappling mat offers its own version of the highlight reel. The jumping leg sweeps, per mmajunkie.usatoday.com, may still be on the table before all is said and done.
Whether he will ever return to MMA is not confirmed and seems extremely unlikely. The four-match deal with RAF, signed Monday and reported by his manager Ali Abdelaziz, points to a grappling-only chapter rather than a bridge back to the cage. For those who mourned his exit, that distinction matters — it means the athlete they remember is competing again, even if the arena has changed.
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