Zabit Magomedsharipov‘s path to signing with ACBJJ did not begin on the mat. It started in front of a television screen, watching K1.
Long before grappling became a major part of his identity, Zabit was focused almost entirely on striking through sanda. So when he was asked during an ACBJJ 21 interview whether he preferred striking or wrestling, his answer came without hesitation.
“Striking, yes, in principle, it is obvious,” he said.
That preference was rooted in his background. According to Zabit, sanda heavily emphasized striking, which meant he already carried solid stand-up fundamentals when he transitioned into professional MMA. Grappling, however, was another story entirely.
His love for striking was also fueled by countless hours studying K1 athletes. Zabit explained that he became obsessed with copying what he saw on screen.
“I quickly picked up anything that K1 showed me once,” he said. “I loved to watch it, and so I copied everyone. I could copy different stances, there were different athletes, I could change stances or do some strikes every day, because I was always watching and copying them.”
Wrestling only entered the picture because MMA demanded it. Once he decided to pursue the sport professionally, he understood that avoiding grappling was not an option. He began training with a friend, even though he initially had little interest in the ground game.
“I had to, although I didn’t like it, to be honest,” Zabit admitted. “As if you’ve been figh ting steadfastly all your life and you have to fiddle around there.”
Despite his reluctance, progress came quickly.
“After a couple of training sessions I already started to do some of these things,” he said. “The results came.”
As his interest grew, Zabit started traveling between different gyms to continue improving his grappling.
Over time, the part of MMA he once resisted became something he genuinely enjoyed. The more he trained grappling, the more addictive it became.
“The more you mess around with it, the more you enjoy it and it becomes more ad*ictive,” Zabit said.
That shift ultimately changed the direction of his career. The same athlete who once spent hours mimicking K1 strikers in front of a screen is now competing in a pure grappling event. By his own account, the longer he stayed involved in grappling, the less he wanted to step away from it.
[Editor’s Note: Quotes have been translated and edited for clarity and readability.]
