Zabit Magomedsharipov details UFC’s recent persistence in luring him out of retirement

Former UFC featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov is content in retirement, but not without numerous attempts by the promotion to get him to return.

Magomedsharipov was considered an inevitable UFC title challenger after a win over Calvin Kattar in Nov. 2019. But, he opted to retire after a series of medical issues, including a career-threatening surgery on his immune system.

Magomedsharipov retired from MMA and the UFC in 2022 after swaying back and forth regarding a potential comeback. He retired just as his physical prime was about to begin, and was arguably one win away from a featherweight title shot.

Magomedsharipov still trains and coaches his teammates after retiring from fighting. While he remains insistent on his retirement, that hasn’t stopped the UFC from attempting to change his mind.

Zabit Magomedsharipov training, but no “desire to return”

In a recent interview with Sport24, Magomedsharipov revealed the UFC has tried several times to lure him back to the Octagon since retiring.

“Yes, they do from time to time since I left the sport,” Magomedsharipov said. “Three of four times they wanted to have a meeting with me, invited me to the United States, but I couldn’t go. I know that I can’t promise them anything, so why should I go and meet with them?

“Sometimes I do [think about coming back], but I don’t have the desire yet. I have the desire to train, and help my brothers, that’s it. They promised me a lot of things, but that’s not the point. I simply made up my mind, I don’t want to prove anything to anybody. Come back, go through training camps, I have no desire to return, and it’s not about money. I don’t think I will ever come back.”

Magomedsharipov left the cage with an 18-1 record, including a 13-fight winning streak. He defeated the likes of Jeremy Stephens and Sheymon Moraes during his promotional tenure.