5 potential opponents for Zabit Magomedsharipov's UFC return

#4. Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Alex Caceres

Longtime veteran Alex Caceres is probably in the best form of his career right now

It might sound crazy given that he’s been competing in the UFC since 2010, but Alex Caceres might be in the best form of his career right now. The fact that he’s ranked at No.15 in the featherweight division makes him a worthy opponent for Zabit Magomedsharipov.

‘Bruce Leeroy’ most recently defeated Seung Woo Choi via rear-naked choke, taking his current winning streak to a total of five fights.

However, it’s probably fair to say that the TUF veteran has not faced a fighter of Zabit’s caliber in the octagon for some time and he certainly hasn’t beaten anyone on that level before.

Would ‘Bruce Leeroy’ prove to be a threat to the Dagestani? It is possible. He’s a wily veteran with a highly-skilled ground game, as well as the ability to strike decently on the feet, too.

However, given that Magomedsharipov dealt with the likes of Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens prior to his stint on the shelf, he’d be hugely favored to win this bout handily.

This fight wouldn’t be the biggest that Zabit could hope for right now, but in terms of a winnable return bout, the UFC could do much worse than to put it together.

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#3. Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell's grappling skills would make him a tricky opponent for Zabit Magomedsharipov

Another fighter who is on a tremendous win streak right now in the featherweight division is Bryce Mitchell. ‘Thug Nasty’ is unbeaten in the octagon at 5-0 and with a total of 14 wins to his name, he has yet to taste defeat in MMA, period.

Those wins have enabled Mitchell to climb up to No.11 in the UFC’s rankings and so the promotion could well decide to match him with the returning Zabit Magomedsharipov, meaning one of the two would lose their unbeaten octagon record.

Would this fight make sense for Zabit? Some might argue that the Dagestani has earned a fight against a more highly-ranked opponent. Then again, Mitchell is on one of the best runs in the entire division and deserves a step up in his own right.

More to the point, this clash could prove to be wildly entertaining, as both Magomedsharipov and Mitchell are grappling-based fighters who throw caution to the wind when they step into the octagon.

‘Thug Nasty’ is one of just two men to submit an opponent with the infamous Twister inside the UFC. Magomedsharipov, meanwhile, is no stranger to low-percentage submissions in his own right, using a hamstring stretcher to tap out Brandon Davis in 2018.

Whether Mitchell could deal with Zabit’s flashy striking skills is another thing entirely, but it’d definitely be fun to see him try. If the UFC wants to put the Dagestani into a potential barnburner, then this fight might be the one to make.