Zabit Magomedsharipov is back in combat sports, just not in the cage everyone expected. The former UFC featherweight contender has signed with Absolute Championship Akhmat’s grappling offshoot ACBJJ, setting up a return to competition later in 2026 in a pure jiu-jitsu setting rather than MMA. For fans who had written off any kind of comeback, “Zabeast” lacing up a rashguard instead of 4oz gloves is still a plot twist worth tuning in for.
ACBJJ, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu league linked to Russian promotion Absolute Championship Akhmat, confirmed the deal through its leadership, with president Zaurbek Khasiev declaring that negotiations were complete and that the promotion is “gathering the elite.”
Zabit Magomedsharipov returns to action with new ACBJJ move
The organization focuses on professional grappling events under its own ruleset, positioning itself as a high-level platform for established MMA names and pure jiu-jitsu specialists to meet on the mats. While an exact date and opponent have not yet been announced, ACBJJ and allied outlets state that Magomedsharipov is expected to compete later in 2026, marking his first official appearance in combat sports since his UFC days.
The move ends a long stretch in the wilderness for one of the great “what if” stories at 145 pounds. Magomedsharipov walked away from MMA in his early thirties after health issues and a run of canceled bouts stalled his rise, explaining in 2022 that disruptions to his schedule and medical problems pushed him toward retirement even though he later recovered.
He admitted he no longer felt like the same athlete, thanked fans for their patience, and stressed that he would remain in the sport in some capacity even as he stepped away from active fighting. True to that message, he became known more recently for coaching and sharing his experience rather than chasing rankings.
His competitive résumé is the reason this return has people dusting off old highlight reels. Magomedsharipov went 6-0 in the UFC after debuting with the promotion in September 2017, building a reputation as a creative, awkward nightmare for featherweights. His last bout was a main event win over Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night 163 in November 2019, where he took a unanimous decision and looked one or two results away from a title shot before the layoff began.
Across his MMA career he compiled 18 wins against just one defeat, with a chunk of those victories coming during his run as featherweight champion in ACA’s previous incarnation, Absolute Championship Berkut.
For ACA and ACBJJ, signing a former UFC contender with a cult following is a statement that the brand can attract serious names to its mats. For fans, it is a compromise: the long-teased UFC title run is gone, but the chance to see Zabit take risks in live combat again is very much alive, just with a different rulebook and a new chapter heading.
