Former Fighter Accuses UFC For Not Giving Him A Title Shot Because Of Other Russian Champions
For years, Zabit Magomedsharipov was viewed as one of the most talented fighters in MMA. His flashy striking, elite grappling, and unique style made him one of the UFC’s biggest rising stars at featherweight, with many fans believing he was destined to become champion.
Instead, he disappeared from the sport entirely. Now, years after retiring, Zabit has opened up again about why his UFC career ended so suddenly and his comments have reignited criticism toward the promotion’s treatment of fighters.
According to Zabit, the UFC never truly wanted him holding a title because the organization already had too many Russian champions at the time.
“They just didn’t want to make me a champion because we already had a lot of champions from Russia.”
The comments immediately sparked major discussion across the MMA world, especially because many fans already viewed Zabit as one of the sport’s biggest “what if” stories.
Zabit Believes the UFC Held His Career Back
Zabit officially retired from MMA in 2022 at just 31 years old with an 18-1 professional record and a perfect 6-0 run inside the UFC. His final fight came in November 2019, when he defeated Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Moscow. At the time, he looked extremely close to a title shot.
But after multiple cancelled fights against Yair Rodriguez and years of inactivity, Zabit eventually walked away from the sport entirely. While health problems were initially mentioned as one reason for his retirement, Zabit later revealed frustration with the UFC played a major role too.
In previous interviews, he claimed the UFC promised him a title opportunity but failed to follow through. He also said he became angry after repeated delays and changing plans regarding his future in the division.
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Now, his latest comments have pushed the conversation even further. According to Zabit, the UFC already had Khabib Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan holding titles during that period, and he believes the promotion did not see value in creating another Russian champion at the same time.
Whether fans agree with that theory or not, the accusations once again brought attention to a criticism the UFC has faced for years that matchmaking and title opportunities are sometimes influenced as much by business interests as sporting merit.
Many fighters throughout UFC history have accused the promotion of controlling careers through selective matchmaking, delayed title shots, and promotional favoritism. Some fighters become massive stars despite losses, while others struggle to receive opportunities even while winning consistently.
Zabit’s situation remains one of the strangest examples because of how highly regarded he was during his short UFC run. He defeated notable names like Jeremy Stephens and Calvin Kattar while becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the division.
Despite that momentum, he never received a title fight. The UFC has never publicly responded to Zabit’s claims about Russian champions or intentionally limiting his path toward a belt. Still, his comments have added more fuel to long-running debates about how much control promotions have over a fighter’s future.
Today, Zabit remains one of MMA’s biggest unanswered questions. A fighter talented enough to become champion, but one who walked away before ever getting the chance to prove it.
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