By:  | October 14, 2022 8:06 am

Hasbulla’s talks with the UFC have taken a serious turn! The Russian is set to compete inside the octagon and took to Instagram to reveal he would be fighting with ‘details to be revealed’.

Hasbulla is currently in Abu Dhabi for UFC 280. He will corner Islam Makhachev for his lightweight title fight with Charles Oliveira that headlines the event at the Etihad Arena.

The teenager already had a good relationship with Dana White and it appears he has been handed a UFC deal despite having no competitive experience whatsoever:

Rumours are true

Hasbulla informed his fans that,

“The rumors are true. I have officially signed a deal to fight in the UFC! Details will be revealed by the end of the year. Thank you to Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov and everyone who helped make this dream become a reality. All my fans will be able to buy a Hasbulla fight kit soon on UFC.com and hasbulla.com.”

Dana White famously stated that he would never allow female fighters to compete inside the octagon. The sight of Ronda Rousey destroying opponents in Strikeforce was all it took for the UFC president to change his mind.

He has also showed a willingness to allow a select few fighters to make their pro debut on a UFC card. Previous recipients of his honour include CM Punk and James Toney.

New division

But finding a suitable opponent for Hasbulla will be a challenge. The Russian reportedly weights around 40lbs and is lighter than the average American 10 year old.

Of course Hasbulla initially came to international attention due to his feud with Abdu Rozik, a dwarf from Tajikstan. The two were supposed to fight and the prospect of them going head to head was the subject of immense social media speculation.

The fight never happened and the feud ended. Both men are now reportedly friends but with Rozik boasting 4.6 million followers on Instagram and Hasbulla 3.9mn that could be the fight to make.

Fighters who are forced to put together a seven or eight fight winning streak and then beat an opponent on Dana White’s Contender Series might not be impressed to see social media stars parachuted straight into a UFC card. But this is the way of the world in 2022, sometimes skill can be no substitute for having a big online following!