TLDR
- Zabit Magomedsharipov signed a multi-fight deal with Real American Freestyle wrestling promotion
- He will face fellow UFC veteran Giga Chikadze on Nov. 14 at RAF Abu Dhabi
- Magomedsharipov went 6-0 in the UFC before his last MMA fight in November 2019
- He officially retired in 2022 due to health issues and canceled fights, later pursuing medicine
- Chikadze is on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC after starting his run with seven straight wins
Sources: mmafighting.com | sherdog.com
Former UFC featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov has signed a multi-fight deal with Real American Freestyle and will return to competition Nov. 14 in Abu Dhabi.
Promotion officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that Magomedsharipov will face fellow UFC veteran Giga Chikadze at RAF Abu Dhabi. The event takes place at Etihad Arena.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto after Magomedsharipov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz announced the signing on social media. Abdelaziz teased the announcement by saying RAF had signed “one of the most infamous fighters in UFC history.”
🚨😲 Zabit Magomedsharipov reveals he retired because the UFC didn’t want him as champion
"They just didn't want to make me a champion because we already had a lot of champions from Russia."
(Via acbjj) pic.twitter.com/idLRNDNn21
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) May 12, 2026
Magomedsharipov last competed in mixed martial arts nearly seven years ago in November 2019. He defeated Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Moscow in what would become his final octagon appearance.
Undefeated UFC Career Cut Short
The 35-year-old Dagestani fighter went 6-0 during his UFC run. His victories included wins over Jeremy Stephens and three stoppage finishes.
Magomedsharipov officially retired from MMA in 2022 after dealing with canceled fights and health issues. He later pursued a career in medicine while away from competition.
The former featherweight prospect was widely considered one of the most talented fighters of his generation. His early retirement made him one of MMA’s biggest what-if stories.
Magomedsharipov attempted a return to competition in July at ACBJJ 21 for a grappling match against Raul Rosas Jr. He was forced to withdraw from that bout due to an undisclosed injury.
He finally returned to action in August at ACBJJ 22. Magomedsharipov defeated Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision in a grappling match.
Chikadze Looks to Snap Losing Streak
His opponent Chikadze is a 13-fight UFC veteran who started his promotional run with seven straight victories. The Georgian fighter known as “Ninja” lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Kattar in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in January 2022.
That loss marked Chikadze’s first UFC main event appearance. He picked up one win against Alex Caceres following the Kattar defeat.
Chikadze has since dropped his past four UFC appearances. The losing streak led him to try his hand at wrestling competition with RAF.
The RAF Abu Dhabi card also features Olympic wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs. He will face Azamat Nurykau in a rematch of their classic 2019 world championships match that Burroughs won.
The event is headlined by a cruiserweight crossover championship match between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev. The November 14 card marks RAF’s continued expansion into the Middle East market.
