Zabit Magomedsharipov stunned his admirers by returning to competition a few months ago. Following that successful outing, the Russian legend continues to turn heads as he is gearing up for another comeback. However, his latest return won’t happen inside the UFC Octagon, but on a freestyle mat.

According to reports, Zabit has signed a four-fight deal with the Real American Freestyle (RAF), and he will face Giga Chikadze on November 14 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“Zabit Magomedsharipov has signed with Real American Freestyle and will return to action against UFC fighter Giga Chikadze at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14th,” RAF posted on X. 

Zabit Magomedsharipov’s RAF debut will mark the second time he has competed in grappling this year. Last time the 35-year-old stepped onto the mat, he ended his seven-year hiatus by defeating active UFC featherweight contender Youssef Zalal at the ACBJJ 22 event on August 30.

The Russian’s opponent, Giga Chikadze, is coming off a rough 4-fight-losing-stretch in the UFC and he will also make his first appearance in the promotion.

Though Zabit didn’t confirm anything, many speculated he would eventually retire once again following his win over Zalal. But the Russian legend’s foray into grappling wasn’t a one-time affair. His signing with RAF is proof that the 35-year-old is hungry enough to remain in active competition.

Despite his recent turn to freestyle wrestling, Zabit’s return to the UFC likely remains a chapter that will not reopen. The Khasavyurt native told Red Corner MMA in late August that he is perhaps too old to continue in MMA, though he felt stronger than ever.

“I love to grapple. I love grappling, so I think I will keep competing. I’m afraid I’m a bit old for MMA at this point, but I can grapple,” Magomedsharipov said. “I also think that I’ve grown stronger since then.

“When I fought in the UFC, I lacked physique. I think if I competed now, it would be even easier for me. I feel great in the gym, and I feel stronger than back then.”

Zabit’s belief that his prime days to fight in MMA are behind him largely explains his decision not to make a comeback with the UFC. However, it’s also his conviction that he can still hang with anyone on the mat that spurred him to strike a deal with RAF.

In addition, Zabit’s win over Zalal proved a strong incentive to continue his career in grappling.

The Russian mixed martial arts legend will share the card with Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington, who are headlining the event, with ‘Chaos’ defending his cruiserweight championship belt. 

Despite various factors shaping Zabit Magomedsharipov’s rather underwhelming ending of his UFC career, his manager once blamed both the promotion and himself for not handling the situation better.  

Zabit Magomedsharipov’s manager speaks out on his UFC retirement 

Zabit Magomedsharipov practically stopped fighting in UFC following the second cancellation of his bout against Yair Rodriguez in 2020. But he properly announced retirement in 2022. The Russian fighter suffered several health issues that left his cardio and immune system compromised.

However, Zabit later expressed his frustrations with the UFC’s matchmaking following the multiple cancellations of the Rodriguez fight. Even his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, regretted pushing for that matchup.

“No, he’s not coming back,” Abdelaziz said of Magomedsharipov on the Pound 4 Pound podcast last year. “Honestly, he got booked like three or four times with Yair Rodriguez. Yair Rodriguez kept pulling out on him, and he just lost love. I’m not going to blame anyone from the UFC. I could have, but I am not going to do it.

“I think it was a little bit of the UFC’s fault, and also maybe a little bit of my fault. I should never have made them book him again with Yair Rodriguez. This guy pulled out three, four times, right? In a way, I think Zabit fell off. He has a lot of businesses, is married, and has kids. He said, ‘I don’t need to do this.'”  

Zabit Magomedsharipov is often touted as one of the biggest “what ifs” in UFC history, a fighter who never saw the peak of his career. But after a substantial time away from the cage, it seems the Russian would like to stick to grappling events, which have grown quite a bit in popularity recently.

So unless something significant happens, it’s likely Zabit’s return won’t happen in the UFC.