Published On: Tue, Feb 17th, 2026

Zabit Magomedsharpiov returns to competition – just not MMA

Zabit Magomedsharipov fans rejoice. Your man has exited the shadows and is back in the public eye to compete once again. However, it's not in MMA that he'll compete.

On Monday, Russian grappling league ACBJJ (a spinoff of Russian promotion ACA) announced it has signed Magomedsharipov.

No further details about the deal were released, but Magomedsharipov collaborated with the post and commented in Russian, "Let's make some noise."

Magomedsharipov captivated audiences during his UFC run from 2017 to 2019. He's often a top answer in the MMA discourse about the biggest "what-ifs," having walked away from the sport at 18-1 and 6-0 UFC.

The circumstances around Magomedsharipov's MMA departure still remain a bit unclear, though he's indicated health issues and a pursuit of other real-world opportunities contributed to his retirement.

So while fight fans may never again see Magomedsharipov throw a spinning back kick to an opponent's face, the good news is they may get a jumping leg sweep or two before all is said and done.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Zabig Magomedsharpiov returns to competition – just not MMA


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