Zabit Magomedsharipov defeats Youssef Zalal in return to grappling competition

Zabit Magomedsharipov returned to competition for the first time in seven years on August 30, 2026, securing a unanimous decision victory against Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Youssef Zalal. The grappling match took place at the ACBJJ 22 event held at the Ora Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. Although Zalal finished the contest with a strong performance, the judges ruled in favor of Magomedsharipov. This appearance follows a long hiatus for the former UFC fighter, who retired from professional mixed martial arts in 2022. Magomedsharipov cited frustration with the UFC’s match scheduling as a primary reason for his original retirement and stated he remains content with his decision to step away from the sport. He was previously scheduled to compete at ACBJJ 21 last month but withdrew from that event due to injury.

• 2:47 AMYahoo Sports — Zabit Magomedsharipov returns after 7 years, beats UFC featherweight