Zabit Magomedsharipov informs UFC that he has retired from MMA

Zabit Magomedsharipov is calling his brief, but impressive, mixed martial arts (MMA) career a wrap.

MMA Fighting reported earlier today (Weds., June 15, 2022) that the highly touted Russian Featherweight contender has informed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that he’ll be retiring from active competition. According to United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) records, Magomedsharipov, 31, hasn’t been tested at all in 2022, suggesting he’s left the testing pool. He’ll ends his career on a 14-fight win streak, having only suffered a single defeat in 19 professional bouts.

Magomedsharipov instantly became a fan favorite upon his UFC arrival in Sept. 2017 thanks to his unorthodox striking skills and tricky ground game. He wrapped up a slick rear-naked choke submission in his debut against Mike Santiago before following it up later in the year with an impressive anaconda choke on Sheymon Moraes (watch highlights).

His first two UFC wins were enough to land Magomedsharipov on a pay-per-view (UFC) event, matched against Kyle Bochniak at UFC 223. Producing a wild three-round battle, Magomedsharipov walked away with the unanimous decision nod, but both men earned an extra $50,000 for their “Fight of the Night” showcase.

Continuing to impress, Magomedsharipov then took on Brandon Davis and managed to pull off the ever-rare Suloev Stretch submission, forcing the tap in round two (watch highlights). Magomedsharipov’s most impressive and highest-profile wins closed out his career, defeating the likes of Jeremy Stephens and Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (watch highlights). The Kattar bout took place in Nov. 2019 and will act as the last for “Zabeast.”

You know what they say, though ... Never say never.