Zabit Magomedsharipov has added further doubt to talk of a return to the Octagon by announcing that is pursuing a career in the medical field.
The once very promising featherweight he hasn’t been in action since November 2019, when he headlined a UFC Fight Night card held in Moscow once morest current top five contender Calvin Kattar. After emerging victorious, and extending his professional record to 18-1 and his active winning streak to 14, Zabit was being singled out for greatness.
Today, he has been absent from the cage for over two years under mysterious circumstances, causing him to lose his No. 3 spot in the 145-pound rankings. But with the latest revelation, it seems that the fight is far from his mind. The 31-year-old fighter has long been considered the greatest.what would happen if» in mixed martial arts, and it looks like the mark will stick.
leading to Instagramthe Dagestani posted a picture of himself working on a laptop in a Doctors of the World facility, an organization that describes itself as “an independent humanitarian movement working at home and abroad to empower excluded people to access healthcare.” Translated from Russian, the caption of Zabit’s post reads:
«A new name will soon appear in the medical world of Makhachkala«.
► Zabit changes the game of pain for that of healing
The news that Zabit is seeking success outside of the fight game comes just weeks following the renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani will reveal a possible reason for the Dagestani’s decision to distance himself from the cage.
While it has been previously reported that a health issue related to his immune system has kept Zabit on the sidelines, Helwani revealed a different reason that he had been told in relation to the continued long period of inactivity. of the former Berkut Absolute Championship holder at featherweight during an edition of The MMA Hour earlier this month.
«The greatest ‘what if’ of all, perhaps the greatest ‘what if’ in the history of the UFC is Zabit… just disappeared. I’ve asked around… I don’t know if (it’s going to come back),” Helwani said. “From what I’ve been told, I had like, almost like this moral religious dilemma he was dealing with. he is very religiousand I think it got to a point where I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Although this theory remains unconfirmed, it would be very appropriate for Zabit to exchange the gloves for the medical utensils if a religious dilemma is what has been keeping his fists open. However, Zabit’s announcement comes just days following his representative, Ali Abdelaziz, hinted that the Dagestani would return to the cage in the coming months. The 145-pound fighter’s trainer provided an equally positive update last September.
Although Zabit’s message is not necessarily a confirmation of his plans to stay away from the octagonand he certainly wouldn’t be the first to combine another occupation with martial arts, the fact that have found a new passion in his absence he may say everything the fans need to know.
