Chael Sonnen explains why Zabit Magomedsharipov does "terrible job with media"
Chael Sonnen believes Zabit Magomedsharipov does a terrible job with the media when it comes to self-promotion.
Magomedsharipov set the MMA community abuzz a few days ago by hinting at a comeback on February 28th. The UFC featherweight posted a statement on Instagram that read –
“On February 28, I will simply destroy someone!”
However, Magomedsharipov didn’t provide any additional information. There’s no UFC fight card scheduled for February 28th. The closest card to this date is UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Makhachev on February 26th.
In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen stated that Magomedsharipov is a brilliant fighter. However, given that Magomedsharipov hasn’t fought since November 2019, Sonnen feels that the least the 30-year-old could’ve done is reveal more about his comeback matchup.
Explaining why he feels Magomedsharipov does a terrible job with the media, Sonnen stated:
“Zabit does a terrible job with media. Very close to being a literal statement when I tell you – he does no media. Hundred percent literal statement when I tell you – he does not attempt to manipulate the media. You could do that through trash talking. You could do that through something that kids call trolling. You could do that just being active (UFC heavyweight) Derrick Lewis style. Find things that other people are doing, bring it to your channel, and put it out; you’re the funny guy to go to. Oh, there’s a million different things that work. He does zero in that category. So, nobody makes it harder to be a Zabit fan than Zabit.”
Watch Chael Sonnen criticize Zabit Magomedsharipov’s lack of self-promotion in the video below:
Zabit Magomedsharipov is primed to make his comeback after overcoming serious health issues
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Zabit Magomedsharipov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed that he’ll be talking to the UFC brass regarding his client’s return. Abdelaziz reiterated that Magomedsharipov had been dealing with health issues that kept him out of action.
In 2020, Magomedsharipov was scheduled to fight Yair Rodriguez, but the fight fell through when the latter pulled out due to an injury.
Info about Zabit Magomedsharipov (per @ILazorin) https://t.co/L2dUIVdvNt
In 2021, Magomedsharipov was removed from the official UFC rankings due to inactivity. Furthermore, it was revealed that he was dealing with serious health problems, including a weakened immune system.
Regardless, late last year, Magomedsharipov's coach Mark Henry claimed that his client would fight again very soon.
Magomedsharipov’s latest Instagram post and Abdelaziz’s aforementioned interview also indicate that the Russian could make his highly-anticipated return sooner rather than later.