Magomedsharipov Returns After Five Years Away

Zabit Magomedsharipov is coming back — just not in the way anyone expected.

The former UFC featherweight contender will return to competition for the first time since 2020 on July 5, booking a no-gi grappling match against Raul Rosas Jr. as the main event of an ACBJJ event in Moscow. The bout is scheduled at 155 pounds. Magomedsharipov had been rumoured to face Dan Hooker at the event before Rosas emerged as the opponent instead.

The return is significant simply because it is happening. Magomedsharipov walked away from MMA five years ago at 18-1, with six consecutive UFC victories and a reputation as one of the most gifted featherweights the sport had produced — a fluid, creative fighter whose combination of grappling and striking had analysts debating how high his ceiling might have been. The retirement came after a series of cancelled bouts, most notably a repeatedly shelved matchup with Yair Rodriguez that never materialised.

Rosas Jr. is an interesting opponent for a debut back in competition. The 13th-ranked UFC bantamweight is 6-1 in the organisation and riding a five-fight winning streak since 2023, most recently defeating Rob Font by decision in March. He has prior grappling match experience — a draw with Deiveson Figueiredo in Brazil that ended without a submission from either man — which gives July 5 some context around what he brings to the format.

At 35, Magomedsharipov is not returning with world title ambitions. The grappling match in Moscow is something closer to a personal statement — proof that the competitive instinct never left, even if the MMA career did. Whether it leads anywhere beyond July 5 is unclear.