Zabit Magomedsharipov wants another crack at the grappling match he never got to have. The former UFC featherweight contender told Red Corner MMA he is interested in testing himself against Raul Rosas Jr. on the mats, months after he had to pull out of their scheduled meeting at ACBJJ in July.
That withdrawal turned into a family affair. Zabit’s brother, Khasan Magomedsharipov, took the spot, and Rosas finished him with a rear-naked choke in the first round. So when Zabit talks about running it back, there’s an obvious subtext, even if he kept his own framing measured.
“I believe I am stronger in terms of raw power, but in terms of pure skills, it would be an interesting matchup,” Zabit told Red Corner MMA.
Rosas keeps finding the back
Rosas has been busy since July. Last week he submitted Colby Covington with a rear-naked choke in the first round, and Bloody Elbow reported the finish came in less than a minute at Hype FC. That’s two first-round chokes from the back against grapplers with real credentials, and Zabit had a pointed read on the second one.
“[ Colby Covington ] underestimated him. You can’t expose your back so easily,” he said.
The Covington loss has drawn plenty of criticism from fighters. Kamaru Usman said in a clip shared on X that he didn’t excuse it, arguing Covington knew what he’d signed up for even though submission grappling isn’t his world. Covington has stayed busy anyway. He’ll defend his RAF cruiserweight crossover title against Khamzat Chimaev at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14.
Inside the Octagon, Rosas holds a six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight, the longest active run in the division according to MMA Junkie’s post-event numbers from UFC Fight Night 293. Petr Yan sits second with five.
Zabit’s next stop
Before any Rosas booking, Zabit has his own crossover assignment. He’s set to compete in freestyle wrestling against Giga Chikadze on that same RAF Abu Dhabi card on November 14, a former UFC featherweight matchup moved onto a wrestling ruleset. No date, venue or promotion has been attached to a Zabit vs. Rosas rebooking.
Quick take
Zabit is right about the back, and he’s right that this would be interesting. I’m less convinced by the raw power angle. Power helps you win hand fights and hold position, but both of Rosas’s recent finishes came from the same place, the moment an opponent turned or posted carelessly and gave him a chest-to-back angle. Strength doesn’t do much for you once the hooks are in and the choking arm is under the chin. If Zabit can keep his hips square and stay heavy on top, he has a real case. If he scrambles the way he used to on the feet, flashy and loose, Rosas will find the same choke he found against Khasan and Covington. I’d lean Rosas in a submission-only format, and I’ll want to see how Zabit’s hips look against Chikadze on November 14 before I change my mind.
