Zabit Magomedsharipov says he’s out of a planned UFC event for Aug. 29.
Magomedsharipov was expected to take on Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight clash later this month. Rodriguez ended up suffering an ankle injury, forcing him off the card. Magomedsharipov’s team had been claiming that a win for Zabit would’ve given him a 145-pound title shot against champion Alex Volkanovski.
Zabit Magomedsharipov Heads Back To Russia With No Fight Deal
Zabit took to his Instagram account to reveal that he’s no longer set to compete on the Aug. 29 event (h/t BJPenn.com).
“As-salamu ‘alaykum greetings to all! I want to inform you that my fight on August 29 will not be. Rodriguez jumped out of the top 5 to replace anyone. Fighting those who are even lower in the rankings is a step back. I asked for either a belt fight or a fight with some interesting opponent with a name. There were no offers, so we turn off our camp and return to Russia. For the second time in a row @ufc breaks off preparation at the final stage. Thanks to everyone who supported and waited for this fight. The team and I did our best.”
Calvin Kattar had been throwing his name in the hat for a rematch with Zabit. Back in Nov. 2019, Magomedsharipov and Kattar collided in a three-round featherweight clash. Zabit won the bout via unanimous decision. The bout was competitive and Kattar was finding a rhythm in the final round.
Zabit is riding a 14-fight winning stream. He has pro MMA record if 18-1. Zabit hasn’t suffered a loss since April 2013.
