Islam Makhachev will have social media star Hasbulla in his corner when he fights for the UFC lightweight title, according to MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz.
The Khabib Nurmagomedov protege will get his first shot at a world title when he takes on former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on October 22.
Each fighter is allowed to bring three people to his corner during a UFC fight and Makachev is almost certain to have “The Eagle” and his longtime trainer Javier Mendez with him at the Etihad Arena.
Hasbulla, who was in the cage to watch Makhachev’s last win in Abu Dhabi over Dan Hooker and recently became a UFC ambassador, will also be part of the local team according to Abdelaziz who answered “yes” when asked. asked if the 19-year-old would. have an official role later this month.
However, it remains to be seen if the man overseeing the careers of Henry Cejudo, Justin Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, Kayla Harrison and many others is telling the truth or just trolling.
Hasbulla has become an internet sensation over the past year, in part because of his connections to MMA fighters such as Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.
The 3ft 4in teenager has a genetic condition that gives him characteristics such as stunted growth and a high-pitched voice. Although it has not been officially confirmed, it is believed that he suffers from a form of dwarfism.
Hasbulla was once linked to a fight with another social media personality, 18-year-old Abdu Rozik, who suffers from a similar growth disorder, but nothing materialized, and the fights now appear to be off the table.
The Russian was recently the victim of an unprovoked attack by Conor McGregor, who insulted him and threatened to kick him, setting off the most unlikely beef of 2022.
“Would love to throw that little g*** Hasbulla at a goal post. How much to put it on the fly? Smelly little inbred,” the Irishman tweeted.
“Notorious” then uploaded and quickly deleted a Twitter meme that showed him strangling what appears to be a small toy whose head has been replaced with Hasbulla’s.
He captioned the post: “Now what you sayin’, little gimp.”
This prompted a response from Hasbulla, who requested that UFC President Dana White allow him to fight McGregor inside the Octagon: “Please make this happen. , let me eat this Conor McGregor chicken.”
“Notorious” hasn’t fought since fracturing his tibia and fibula at UFC 264 in July 2021.
The 34-year-old is currently regaining his full fitness ahead of a much-anticipated comeback in 2023 against an opponent yet to be decided.
While Hasbulla wants to be considered for McGregor’s comeback fight, it will never happen for many reasons. One of them is the fact that McGregor is set to return to welterweight and the internet celebrity is a bit lighter than the 170-pound limit.