Zabit Magomedsharipov Returns to Face Giga Chikadze at RAF Abu Dhabi

Zabit Magomedsharipov is coming back — just not the way most people pictured it. Officials confirmed the former UFC featherweight standout will meet fellow octagon veteran Giga Chikadze on the wrestling mats at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena. It ends a layoff that stretches back nearly seven years.

The 35-year-old hasn't competed since headlining UFC Moscow in November 2019, where he outpointed Calvin Kattar. He walked away from the sport a perfect 6-0 inside the UFC, a run that included three finishes and a win over then-contender Jeremy Stephens. He never lost in the promotion — he just stopped.

A Different Kind of Opponent

Chikadze arrives with a very different trajectory. The Georgian kickboxer-turned-fighter opened his UFC tenure 7-0 before Kattar — the same man Zabit beat — handed him a lopsided decision loss in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in January 2022, his first five-rounder. "Ninja" bounced back with a win over Alex Caceres but has since dropped four straight in the cage.

So this is two featherweights with real octagon pedigree swapping gloves for grips. For Zabit, grappling is familiar ground — his sambo and wrestling base was always the engine behind that undefeated UFC stretch. For Chikadze, a striker by trade, it's a bolder departure.

The Bigger Card

The pairing slots onto a stacked crossover event. RAF Abu Dhabi is topped by a cruiserweight crossover championship bout between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev. The card also features Umar Nurmagomedov against Urijah Faber, plus a wrestling clash between Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and Azamat Nurykau — a rematch of their dramatic 2019 world championship meeting that Burroughs won.

There's been some reshuffling too. Michael Page dropped off the lineup, with UFC middleweight Brendan Allen — ranked #4 and 27-7 — stepping in, and Bella Mir slated to return. Whether Zabit's comeback stays on the mats or eventually leads back to MMA is a conversation for another day. For now, the first step is Nov. 14.