Zabit Magomedsharipov has defended himself against critics who have questioned his cardio and whether or not it can compare with the top names in the featherweight division.

Magomedsharipov has long since been viewed as one of the rising stars in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with his current record within the company being 6-0. However, his last bout against Calvin Kattar raised some questions as to whether or not he is capable of sustaining his quality for five rounds after Kattar was able to work his way back into the contest in the third.

As reported by MMA Junkie, Zabit wasn’t about to let people get away with questioning him as he let the world know what he thinks during a recent interview.

“Many criticize my endurance without thinking about how much energy a non-standard work in a battle can take,” Magomedsharipov said on Instagram. “I always strive to please my fans, but, of course, we will tighten the functionality anyway. Entertainment in battle or a simple victory without risk? What would you give priority to?”

The Russian sensation appears to be in a real position of power right now even with the questions surrounding the win over Kattar, mainly because of how much momentum he’s been able to build up for himself. At UFC 245 we’re going to see Max Holloway defend the UFC Featherweight Championship against Alexander Volkanovski, with the winner being tipped to then defend the strap against Magomedsharipov who seems to be the natural next contender.

Whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen as there are still a lot of moving parts to deal with, but one thing is for sure: Zabit Magomedsharipov is someone that is going to be around at the top of this division for quite some time.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/3/2019.