Zabit Magomedsharipov wants Raul Rosas Jr after brother's loss: 'I felt he wasn't that strong'

Rosas submitted Khasan Magomedsharipov when he replaced Zabit in Moscow in July, and Zabit says Colby Covington, submitted by Rosas last week, 'underestimated him'.

Zabit Magomedsharipov wants a grappling match with Raul Rosas Jr, who submitted his brother Khasan after Zabit pulled out of their ACBJJ bout in Moscow in July.

Magomedsharipov was due to face Rosas in the grappling match but withdrew injured, and Khasan replaced him on short notice. Rosas submitted Khasan with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

"He's a good grappler," Magomedsharipov told Red Corner MMA. "I can tell he is good at taking the back. It would be exciting to have a grappling match with him. When we had a face-off in Moscow, I felt he wasn't that strong. But he has the grappling skills."

He said the trip and the weight cut affected his brother. "Khasan was a bit jetlagged after a flight. I think the weight cut and everything affected him," he said. "[Rosas] is not that athletic. But he is very skilled; he knows wrestling and he is good at taking the back and catching the neck, like he did with Khasan... I believe I'm stronger in terms of raw power. But in terms of pure skills, it would be an interesting matchup."

Rosas also submitted Colby Covington with a rear-naked choke in under 45 seconds in the Hype main event in Rome last week. "[Colby] underestimated him. You can't expose your back so easily," Magomedsharipov said.

Magomedsharipov returned in August after nearly seven years away, beating Youssef Zalal on a unanimous decision in a grappling match. He makes his Real American Freestyle debut against Giga Chikadze at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 14 November, on the same card where Covington wrestles Khamzat Chimaev for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship.

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