Zabit Magomedsharipov Wins ACBJJ Return

Zabit Magomedsharipov is back in combat sports competition, earning a unanimous-decision victory over Youssef Zalal in the ACBJJ 22 main event in Istanbul, Turkey. The result marked Magomedsharipov’s first competitive appearance in nearly seven years, but it came in grappling rather than an MMA contest. Against a current UFC featherweight contender, Magomedsharipov navigated a close match that went to the judges and left with the decision.

The return carried particular weight because Magomedsharipov had not competed since the end of his MMA career. His last MMA appearance was a November 2019 win over Calvin Kattar, after which he stepped away from competition. At ACBJJ 22, the question was not whether he would recreate an old MMA moment, but how he would look in a live grappling setting after such a lengthy absence. The judges awarded Magomedsharipov a unanimous-decision win over Zalal in a bout described as close and competitive from start to finish.

A close win in Magomedsharipov’s return

Magomedsharipov faced Zalal in the main event and the contest was decided only after the judges were needed. The match was portrayed as back-and-forth, with Zalal raising his hand after the action in expectation of the result. Instead, the officials awarded Magomedsharipov a unanimous decision. That detail matters because the victory was not presented as an easy showcase after a long layoff. It was a competitive grappling test against an active featherweight contender, and Magomedsharipov was the athlete whose hand was raised in the official outcome.

In his post-fight remarks, Magomedsharipov made clear that returning to competition meant something to him. “I’m very happy to be back,” he said. He also said he was happy to secure a victory against “such a strong opponent.” Those comments fit the setting: this was a return defined by the act of competing again and by getting through a close decision, rather than by a declared change to his MMA status. The unanimous decision also gives the result a straightforward reading. All of the officials sided with Magomedsharipov, even though the match itself produced enough uncertainty for Zalal to believe he had won when it ended. For Magomedsharipov, the official verdict closes his first event back with a win while preserving the important distinction that the contest was held under grappling competition.

The timeline leading to Istanbul adds context to why the ACBJJ 22 appearance stood out. Magomedsharipov’s MMA career ended after the Kattar win in November 2019, and reports of another competitive appearance had circulated during the year. A July matchup with Raul Rosas Jr. had originally been planned, but an injury ended that pairing before it happened. Rosas Jr. then beat Magomedsharipov’s brother on short notice, and the two reignited their rivalry after that bout. Magomedsharipov, however, did not return against Rosas Jr.; his eventual opponent was Zalal.

That sequence makes the Zalal match more than a delayed date on a calendar. It was the event that actually brought Magomedsharipov back into competition after the July plan fell away. It also explains why the result should be framed precisely. He returned, competed in a main-event grappling match and won a unanimous decision. The supplied account does not turn that outcome into an announced MMA comeback, a new fight booking or a statement about what he will do next. Its confirmed significance is the completed return and the victory attached to it.

What Magomedsharipov said after the match

Magomedsharipov’s brief post-fight speech struck a light tone while keeping the focus on the return itself. After saying he was happy to be back, he joked that perhaps he needed to wait eight more years before making another comeback, adding, “We’ll see.” The remark was not an announcement of a schedule or a future contest. Instead, it reflected the unusual gap between appearances and the satisfaction of winning his first match back. His praise for Zalal is also relevant to the result. Magomedsharipov did not describe the contest as routine; he called Zalal a strong opponent after a decision that followed a close exchange.

That gives the unanimous verdict its proper context. The judges’ result was decisive, but the match itself was contested enough that the final announcement remained in doubt until the officials delivered it. For readers tracking Magomedsharipov, the essential takeaway is therefore specific: he has resumed competitive activity through ACBJJ 22 and has a unanimous-decision grappling win over Zalal. Anything beyond that would go further than the confirmed material. The event supplies a notable return, a named opponent and a clear official result, while leaving his longer-term competitive direction unresolved.

• Magomedsharipov’s return took place at ACBJJ 22 in Istanbul, Turkey, in a grappling main event against Youssef Zalal.
• The judges awarded Magomedsharipov a unanimous decision after a close, back-and-forth contest.

Magomedsharipov’s ACBJJ 22 appearance delivered the confirmed outcome his long absence had made notable: a competitive return and a unanimous-decision win over Zalal. The result does not establish a new MMA plan or future booking, but it does put Magomedsharipov back on the competition record after nearly seven years away.