Zabit Magomedsharipov Targets Raul Rosas Jr. for Grappling Showdown
Former UFC featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov wants to face Raul Rosas Jr. in a grappling match after an injury forced him to withdraw from their scheduled ACBJJ contest in Moscow in July. His brother, Khasan Magomedsharipov, stepped in as a replacement but was submitted by Rosas with a rear-naked choke in just over five minutes. Zabit believes his brother’s jet lag and weight cut affected his performance, but he has now expressed interest in testing his own skills against the 22-year-old UFC bantamweight.
Zabit has praised Rosas’ technical grappling, particularly his ability to take an opponent’s back and secure neck submissions, despite believing he has greater raw strength. Rosas recently demonstrated those skills again by submitting former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington at Hype FC. Zabit suggested Covington underestimated the young fighter, warning that opponents cannot afford to expose their backs so easily.
Meanwhile, Zabit has returned to competition after nearly seven years away, defeating Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision in a grappling match at ACBJJ in August. He has also signed a multi-match deal with Real American Freestyle and is scheduled to face fellow UFC fighter Giga Chikadze in a freestyle wrestling contest in Abu Dhabi on November 14. A potential grappling showdown with Rosas would offer another intriguing test for the Russian.
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