"He was so f***ing good, dude" - Sean O'Malley shows appreciation to Zabit Magomedsharipov following the Russian's retirement from MMA
Zabit Magomedsharipov shocked the MMA world when it was announced that he was retiring from the UFC. Now Sean O'Malley is sharing his thoughts on the news.
Magomedsharipov hadn't fought in over two years, and was rumored to be suffering from medical issues that affected his ability to train. After months of speculation on his future, he finally spoke to UFC executives and made it official: he was retiring from the sport of MMA.
O'Malley reacted to the news on the latest episode of The Bromalley Show, saying:
"You see Zabit officially retired? You wonder, obviously there's a language barrier so you can't get like full transparency. But you have to wonder what exactly it was. Was it religion? Was it who knows? He was so f***ing good, dude ... He was so good. So clean ... That guy could have been champ, one hundred percent. With the skills that he has, he could not train for three years, come back, and be top dog still."
Watch Sean O'Malley discuss Zabit Magomedsharipov below:
O'Malley was likely referencing Magomedsharipov's statement on his retirement where he said he declared "I don't feel the way I used to" about fighting. There was no further explanation on that statement, leaving many questions and few answers as to why a potential champion was walking away from the sport just as he was about to reach the top.
INSANE! Zabit matches @FunkMaster_UFC's 'Suloev Stretch' and gets his own sub. Nasty. #UFC228 https://t.co/VfDoNPgkxf
Read Zabit Magomedsharipov's statement on his early retirement from MMA
Zabit Magomedsharipov has never been one to give many interviews or statements. However, he did provide a short message to his fans via Instagram following the news of his retirement from the sport. He wrote:
"Disruptions of fights, and then health problems - all this did not allow me to perform/fight earlier. I have recovered now, but I don't feel the way I used to. Thank you to everyone who has supported me for such a long time. I didn’t have time to become a champion, but I think, even without this, I hope I was able to please/entertain you."
Zabit Magomedsharipov added that he would still be a presence in the sport, and implied his main goal in MMA now was to help his little brother Khasan Magomedsharipov succeed in the sport. The 21-year old Magomedsharipov is 7-0 and currently fighting in Bellator's featherweight division where he is 2-0.
Khasan Magomedsharipov has excellent wrestling, great submissions, and now his brother at his side to help him climb the ranks.
In case you missed it, Bellator signed Zabit's brother Khasan Magomedsharipov (5-0) today. Here he is submitting a dude with a twister last year. Have to say, Bellator is killing it when it comes to these Russian signings. https://t.co/JlmwdZ8uNf