5 UFC stars who we haven't heard from in a while

#2. Stipe Miocic – former UFC heavyweight champion

Stipe Miocic has been absent from the octagon since his 2021 loss to Francis Ngannou

While there was some talk around the potential for Stipe Miocic to hang up his gloves following his UFC heavyweight title loss to Francis Ngannou just over a year ago, there has been no retirement announcement from the former champion yet.

Despite this, Miocic has not fought since, nor has he been linked with another fight in the year that followed his defeat. So what’s going on with the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history?

The most likely answer is probably nothing. It’s a well-known fact that Miocic still works actively as a firefighter in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Despite his success in the octagon, he likely only ever saw his MMA career as a side project of sorts.

Given that there were plenty of rumors that Miocic was looking for a fight with Jon Jones, who still hasn’t made his long-awaited heavyweight debut, it seems likely that the former champion is simply biding his time for the promotion to offer him a fight that makes sense.

At this stage, the 39-year-old former champ probably doesn’t feel the need to fight younger contenders or chase the title again. So, despite some observers suggesting a clash with Curtis Blaydes, it’s likely he’ll remain on the shelf until a big fight comes around.

Therefore, fans probably shouldn’t expect to hear anything from Miocic until that fight materializes, if it ever does.

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#1. Zabit Magomedsharipov – UFC featherweight contender

Health issues have sidelined Zabit Magomedsharipov since 2019

It’s probably fair to argue that just over two years ago, the fighter with the most hype around him in the UFC’s featherweight division was Zabit Magomedsharipov.

The Dagestani had reeled off six wins in the octagon to take his overall MMA record to 18-1 and it was hard not to view him in the same light as his countryman Khabib Nurmagomedov had once been seen – as a surefire future champion.

Essentially, it didn’t look like ‘Za-Beast’ had any weaknesses whatsoever. His wrestling game looked fantastic, he possessed a nasty submission game and his striking, based around his lanky reach, also seemed hard to stop.

However, while his win over Calvin Kattar in late 2019 seemed to push him into title contention, it would actually prove to be his final bout in the octagon for a lengthy period of time.

Since then, Zabit has not fought in the promotion, nor has he even been linked with a fight in the near future despite suggestions that he’d be ready to return in the early part of 2022.

It’s hard to really confirm what’s been going on with the Dagestani, although rumors in 2021 suggested that he’s been fighting a serious health issue relating to his immune system.

With this considered, while it’s hopeful that he’ll return soon, his future remains a question mark, explaining why it’s been so long since fans have heard anything concrete from him.