POWER OFF THE CHARTS
@OttmanAzaitar
needs just 94 seconds to call it a night![ Card concludes next on
#ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/UCMWqi0FeG
— UFC (@ufc)
September 13, 2020
In yet another strange turn of events, lightweight Ottman
Azaitar has been granted a second chance by the Ultimate
Fighting Championship.
UFC president Dana White revealed to
ESPN on Saturday that Azaitar will remain on the roster after
previously announcing the fighter
would be released due to breaking COVID-19 protocols in Abu
Dhabi ahead of a UFC 257 matchup with Matt
Frevola.
“So [Azaitar] and his team cut off their wristbands, gave them to
somebody outside the bubble – I don’t know how they even did it –
that guy taped them, showed up here with a bag, went into a room,
shimmied across four balconies, went into his room, dropped the bag
off, changed his clothes, and then left. Now, when security tried
to stop him, he wouldn’t stop. Either way, it’s just…yeah,
[Azaitar]’s gone. [Azaitar]’s no longer a UFC fighter, and he’s not
fighting tonight,” White told BT
Sport ahead of UFC 257.
According to Azaitar’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the situation was a
“misunderstanding,” and the Moroccan competitor was never
officially removed from the UFC roster or the promotion’s drug
testing pool. Azaitar has not commented on the situation, nor has
the promotion issued any further statement outside of White’s
confirmation that the fighter remains on the roster.
Azaitar, 31, is 13-0 over the course of his professional MMA
career. He kicked off his UFC tenure with first-round knockouts of
Teemu
Packalen and Khama
Worthy in his first two promotional appearances.