"Gotta respect this" - Fans react after Zabit Magomedsharipov claims the UFC reached out to him '3 or 4 times' asking him to return

Zabit Magomedsharipov is one of the greatest what-ifs in the history of mixed martial arts, and more specifically, the UFC. He walked away from the sport in the prime of his career as he was closing in on a featherweight title opportunity. He recently revealed that the promotion has reached out regarding a potential return multiple times to no avail, as he is not interested in continuing his MMA career.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Magomedsharipov stated:

"Yes, they do [reach out] from time to time. Since I left the sport, three or four times they got in touch. They wanted to have a meeting with me, invited me to the United States, but I couldn't go. I know that I can't promise them anything so why should I go and meet with them?"

When asked if he ever thinks about returning to the octagon, Magomedsharipov responded:

"Well, sometimes I do, but I don't have the desire yet. I have the desire to train and help my brothers, that's it... They promised me a lot of things, but that's not the point. I simply made up my mind. I don't want to prove anything to anybody. Come back, go through training camps, I have no desire to return. And it's not about money. Whatever they offer me, I don't think I will ever come back."

Check out Zabit Magomedsharipov's comments on returning to the UFC below:

Fans shared a variety of reactions to Zabit Magomedsharipov's comments, with @CharlieQuinnMMA showing respect for his decision:

"Gotta respect this. Rather this than him just fighting for a paycheck and being unprepared. Wish we could’ve seen more of Zabit. Would’ve been a star."

@TheWorstGameDev believes he is the biggest what-if the sport has ever seen:

"Man he really is going to go down as the biggest “what if” ever imo"

@mistaprivacy labeled the retired fighter:

"He’s too f**king real for this game ."

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Why did Zabit Magomedsharipov walk away from mixed martial arts?

Zabit Magomedsharipov last competed in November 2019 when he defeated Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night 163. He appeared set to return against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 175 in August 2020, however, his opponent was forced to withdraw with an ankle injury.

After being removed from the rankings in April 2021 following nearly a year and a half of inactivity, it was later reported that Magomedsharipov was dealing with health issues with his immune system. The issues reportedly required a career-threatening surgery.

While he has since recovered, he has expressed that he has no interest in returning to mixed martial arts. The former featherweight contender retired with a professional record of 18 wins and one loss, including a 6-0 mark with three submissions in the UFC.