UFC Fires Moroccan Fighter Ottman Azaitar for Breaching COVID-19 Protocol

The violation of the health protocol put in place by the organization on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi is the reason for Ottman’s dismissal. While boxers are required not to physically interact with the outside world during their stay at "Fight Island", Ottman Azaitar and his team helped someone from the outside enter their room.

"He and his team cut their bracelets to give them to an outsider. He entered the UFC bubble, into a room (Azaitar’s) and then crossed four balconies. He then changed clothes and left. [...] We saw it all on the surveillance videos, how it happened? We canceled the fight, and we fired him," Dana White, president of the UFC, said in an interview with BT Sport.

A few hours after his dismissal, the Moroccan athlete shared a Quranic verse on his Instagram account: "Perhaps you hate something and it is good for you, and perhaps you love something and it is bad for you. Allah knows, while you do not know." He accompanied the verse with the caption: "Alhamdulillah (Thank God) for everything." A way for Ottman to confirm the end of his beautiful adventure at the UFC.

The Moroccan athlete leaves the American organization after achieving very good performances (13 wins, zero losses). He was considered one of the prospects in the lightweight category.