Ottoman Azaitar has been making waves in the fighting community with his knockout power. The 34-year-old fighter has won 9 of his fights via KO/TKO, with another 3 by submissions. With a professional MMA record of 13-2-0, he is definitely set for great things in the UFC’s lightweight division. Well, he even has a handful of pictures with the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, on his social media profile. 

But Azaitar’s previous 11-fight win streak made the fighting community wonder about his roots. Today, let’s take a deep dive into the lightweight contender’s past and find out all about his nationality, ethnicity, and religion. 

Is Ottman Azaitar German? Ethnicity and nationality

Ottoman Azaitar was born in Cologne, Germany, to parents from Morocco. He grew up in Dellbruk, a district of Cologne, but soon the Azaitar family moved to Weiden. But when it comes to his nationality, the ‘Bulldozer’ never fails to show off the green star in a background of red. His Instagram feed is filled with him running around with the Moroccan flag. To add to the kind of respect and love he has for his homeland, his gym’s walls also seem to have Moroccan colors on them. But his love for Morocco, a vibrant land of bustling souks and ancient medinas, shone bright when Azaitar began campaigning to bring the UFC to North Africa.

Back in 2020, during Dominance MMA media day, Azaitar said, “I left this question to you. I said Morocco is happy to host UFC and everything is possible in Morocco. Me and my brother, we represent Morocco in the UFC, and we would love the UFC to come to Morocco.” Although he hails from a North African country, the ‘Bulldozer’ claimed that he and his brother, Abu Azaitar, had never been in Africa. Nevertheless, the presence of then-champions like Kamaru Usman pushed the Moroccan brothers to ask the UFC to host an event in the country.

Well, before his UFC debut, Azaitar fought Danijel Kokora at Brave FC and defeated him just 32 seconds into the bout via punches. And the catch? It was a bout that headlined in Tangier, Morocco. He continued, “We have venues, we have flights, we have hotels, we have anything. It’s secure there, anything UFC might need there, it’s just a matter of the management, the UFC, and what Ali makes out of it with the UFC but anytime, welcome.”

But do you know of the religion that Azaitar follows? Over 99% of the population in Morocco are followers of Sunni Islam. Does Azaitar come under 99% of the population? Let’s find out!

Which religion does Ottman Azaitar follow?

Azaitar is indeed a practitioner of Islam. When his family moved to Weiden, he attended the King Fahd Academy in Bonn. This school was financed by the Saudi Arabian government and made the students well-versed in the teachings of Islam. However, the Saudi Arabian diplomats finally decided to shut the school for good in 2017 due to a controversy surrounding the place.

This unusual schooling left a bad imprint on Azaitar’s German-speaking skills. Nevertheless, he conquered his shortcomings as he graduated with a degree in business administration. But it was the life of a mixed martial artist that reeled him in. Beginning his training at the age of 6, Azaitar has become well-versed in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Kickboxing. His early conquest was indeed reflected in his performance in the MMA cage.

Now, Azaitar is all set to face Michael Johnson at UFC on ESPN 63. Currently on a 2-fight losing streak, the ‘Bulldozer’ would indeed try his best to exploit his knockout power and claim a win on 14th December. And of course, the loudest cheer would come from the fighter’s homeland. 

Do you think UFC should debut in Morocco for an event? Is there a specific venue in Morocco that could ensure enormous success for the UFC event? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.