Hasbulla is an anomaly. The Dagestani, known for his short stature but with an equally large spirit, will, and joie de vivre has been a regular feature of the MMA orbit over the past few years. So popular is the social media star that he has a contract with the UFC that reportedly is worth more than that offered to some fighters.
UFC boss, Dana White counts himself among Hasbulla’s fans and has been seen wearing shirts with Hasbulla on them. His many admirers in the UFC include names like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski, and Joe Rogan. And in a post on his Twitter account, the Dagestani paid a compliment to the new bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley.
Hasbulla congratulates Sean O’Malley after UFC 292
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On his official Twitter account, Hasbulla congratulated the new bantamweight champion on his spectacular victory against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. He tweeted a picture of him with a bespectacled, red-haired Sean O’Malley. This was accompanied by a short two-word caption that read, “Big champ 🥊”.
Big champ 🥊 pic.twitter.com/aWZUy8LHJN
— Hasbulla (@Hasbulla_NFT) August 20, 2023
‘Suga’ went into the fight as the underdog, with most expecting Sterling to take him down and dominate him on the ground. Sterling had warned that he just needed one mistake on the Montana native’s part to defeat him. But, O’Malley was able to win on the back of his stellar striking.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
O’Malley defeats Aljamain Sterling in a second-round stoppage
The bout was a brief but exciting affair. Whereas the first round was a hard-fought affair, it was ultimately scored in favor of Sterling by the judges. However, the climax came in the second round after ‘Funkmaster’ lunged at ‘Suga’ with a miscalculated left. O’Malley stepped back calmly and followed with a brilliant counter right that caught Sterling flush on the chin bringing him down.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
A few moments later, the bout was over, and O’Malley emerged as the new bantamweight champion. He gave Sterling his props in the post-match interview with Joe Rogan. He called Sterling the best bantamweight in UFC history and admitted to being nervous coming into the fight. Similarly, ‘Suga’ has also got much-deserved respect from many people, including Hasbulla.
Watch This Story: “That Was So Funny”: Lee Haney Recalled Winning His 8th Olympia, Despite a Re-Match Request From His Biggest Rival That Year