“They invited him to Las Vegas,” Dana White and team’s efforts to retain biggest ‘What if’ Zabit Magomedsharipov revealed by top manager
Zabit Magomedsharipov's coach reveals how the UFC made its best efforts to get the fighter back inside the octagon.
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Dana White and Zabit Magomedsharipov (Image Courtesy: Imago)
Zabit Magomedsharipov is often regarded as a significant MMA talent whose career would have been amazing had he continued fighting. Despite Dana White and the UFC’s attempts to bring him back to the Octagon, he retired from MMA. This absence has left many fight fans disappointed, as he was so entertaining to watch inside the octagon.
Recently, boxing and MMA journalist Igor Lazorin had a chance to interview Rizvan Magomedov, the manager of the Russian featherweight fighter who used to manage Khabib Nurmagomedov. Magomedov revealed that Dana White and the UFC tried to bring Zabit to Las Vegas to discuss their future.
Magomedov said as Lazorin wrote: “Yes, the last time they offered Zabit to come back was about two or three months ago. In the weight category of 66 kg or, if he wants, 70 kg. Or, if he doesn’t even want to return, they just invited him to Las Vegas. To discuss, negotiations. But he simply has no desire (to return), although there is nothing fundamental. Sometimes you want something and sometimes you don’t. Now he has no desire. He had health problems when he actively fought. Now there are no health problems, he feels good, but there is no motivation.”
According to Magomedov, the UFC tried its best to give lucrative deals to the fighter in order to bring him back. However, Zabit had no motivation to continue fighting. Magomedov also revealed how after the fighter stopped fighting, he felt good and all his health problems went away, which was a good sign not to go back to MMA.
Related: Zabit Magomedsharipov reveals reason behind turning down title fight for his return
Ariel Helwani talks about why Zabit Magomedsharipov decided to leave MMA and pursue being a doctor
Zabit Magomedsharipov, in his limited time in the UFC, gathered a lot of attention for his exceptional skill and finesse. His career has been marked by a series of ups and downs, leaving fans pondering the potential that was never fully realized. Unquestionably, he stands out as one of the sport’s most talented athletes.
In 2019, after his last fight, the fighter announced that he wouldn’t be continuing to be a part of the UFC. In an episode of the MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani shed light on what he knows about the matter.
“From what I was told, he had almost this moral religious dilemma that he was dealing with. He’s very religious and I think he reached a point where he just didn’t wanna do it anymore. Now, his brother fights, and he corners his brother, which I think is very interesting, but obviously everyone is different,” said Helwani.
Magomedsharipov was one of the most well-rounded fighters in the history of the UFC and always gave his best inside the octagon. But fans failed to see him lift the title as the fighter chose to go down a different path, the opposite of breaking bones and damaging his opponents.
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Soumya Ranjan
(2167 Articles Published)