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Zabit Magomedsharipov put up a pretty impressive show at UFC Fight Night 163 in Moscow, Russia. Headlining the evening's events, he went up against Calvin Kattar and fought out all three rounds to be announced the winner via unanimous decision.
However, Zabit is not entirely happy with his performance in the Octagon and he also gave reasons as to why.
MMA Junkie reported on the matter.
Zabit blames antibiotics for his exhaustion
The fight between Zabit and Kattar was initially scheduled for October 18 at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston. But that fight did not happen because of Zabit's withdrawal from it owing to an infection he contracted in Thailand. Saturday's bout was a rebooking of the match, which got pushed to the headliner spot from the co-main event after Junior dos Santos stepped away from the original main event fight.
During his post-fight interview in the cage, Zabit admitted via an interpreter that the fight tired him more than usual and affected his cardio, and he cited the infection to be the reason behind it. He also praised his opponent, saying that Kattar's moves surprised him in the fight.
"I knew he was a tough guy. We didn’t expect him to block so much, so I had to kick him the legs. This is just what was different from our expectations. … I got a little tired in the third round because I got an infection when I was in Thailand. I had to take antibiotics, so I think that influenced my performance."
He also went on to commend his coach Mark Henry, with whom he started training in the U.S. Zabit made it a point to mention how much Henry has been helpful in all the victories he has clinched so far.
Zabit believes he deserves a title shot
Having bagged seven consecutive wins under UFC now, Zabit believes he has proved himself enough to get a shot at the Featherweight Championship title. The current holder of the belt, Max Holloway will be defending his title against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245 in Las Vegas on December 14.
Magomedsharipov is keenly looking forward to the bout, as he might have to face either one of the two fighters in near future, either to claim the title or on his way to the Championship fight.
"I think it’s going to be a very exciting fight and I can’t wait to see it. I will also be happy to face the winner of this upcoming fight. I think I fully deserve the title fight. After enough preparation, I should be more than ready to have a go at the title."
But no matter what his goals are at any point in his career, Zabit said that his focus remains on practicing the hardest and put up the best possible show for his fans.
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