2021 Olympic champion and 3X World champion Zaurbek Sidakov will not compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and is instead considering transition to mixed martial arts. This news broke in an interview with UFC fighter Muhammad Naimov hosted by Islam Babajanov on the Ushatayka YouTube channel.

"He (Sidakov) just said that he won't compete (at the Olympic Games)," Naimov said. When asked about Sidakov's interest in MMA, Naimov wouldn't give a definitive yes or no as to whether Sidakov would or wouldn't, but he did say this -

"He told me that definitely after the Olympics he will transfer to MMA. I think he will come."

Naimov also said they have already been in talks with MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz who manages several former UFC champions, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo, among others. Henry Cejudo wrote to Sidakov that he is ready to help with the transition to MMA.

This news comes several days after Sidakov was not one of the Russian and Belarussian athletes initially approved to compete in the Paris Games.

Sidakov has not made a statement publicly on the situation yet.