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Khusein Askhabov unsurprisingly will not be fighting in a few weeks as originally planned.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) released a statement today (Mon., Sept. 11, 2023) after news surfaced of Featherweight prospect, Askhabov, allegedly being involved with an armed robbery in Thailand. His upcoming fight against Daniel Pineda at UFC Vegas 80 on Oct. 7, 2023, has been canceled.
“UFC is aware of the recent arrest and allegations regarding Khusein Askhabov,” the UFC said in a statement. “The organization will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident. UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making any additional statements, however, his scheduled fight on October 7 has been canceled.”
Askhabov, 28, and his twin brother allegedly bound and gagged their victim then beat and tortured them before making off with several personal belongings. Some of these included a Rolex watch, a GRAFF watch, a MacBook, and a debit card, amongst other items.
The 23-1 prospect made his promotional debut this past Feb. 2023, suffering his first and only career defeat via a unanimous decision to Jamall Emmers.
The current UFC Vegas 80 line up can be seen below.
155lbs.: Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green
185lbs.: Joe Pyfer vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
155lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Ricky Glenn
145lbs. Alexander Hernandez vs. Bill Algeo
135lbs.: Johnny Muñoz Jr. vs. Aori Qileng
115lbs.: Kanako Murata vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
135lbs.: Chris Gutiérrez vs. Montel Jackson
125lbs.: Nate Maness vs. Mateus Mendonça
205lbs.: Ion Cuțelaba vs.Philipe Lins
125lbs.: Montana De La Rosa vs. Stephanie Egger
170lbs.: Alex Morono vs. Joaquin Buckley
115lbs.: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Diana Belbiţă