Amir Albazi will take nothing for granted when he enters the octagon at UFC Edmonton this Saturday, looking to restore some stability to his career.
The 31-year-old is unbeaten in his five outings with MMA’s flagship promotion, and is currently the organization’s third-ranked flyweight.
And yet, ‘The Prince’ has been forced to spend more than a year out of the cage following his split decision victory over former title challenger Kai Kara-France.
But the reason for this only became clear at yesterday’s media day for UFC Edmonton, a show that will also feature the return of fan-friendly heavyweight Derrick Lewis.
Amir Albazi speaks candidly about his health scare ahead of UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi will headline this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card in Edmonton, Canada, against two-time champion and second-ranked flyweight Brandon Moreno.
The pair will lock horns in a bid to become the number one challenger to 125 lb king Alexandre Pantoja, who takes on Kai Asakura at UFC 310 on December 7.
Albazi, however, has been compelled to overcome an almighty setback in order to resume his career.
Shortly after undergoing heart surgery, the Iraqi fighter continued to train for his clash with Moreno, until he was then forced to properly address his health issues.
“I couldn’t lift my arm up, I couldn’t jab, I couldn’t do anything, but I still kept training,” Albazi said at the UFC Edmonton media day, streamed by MMA Junkie among other outlets.
“After I got my first MRI, the first doctor said, ‘You shouldn’t be fighting anymore. Find a 9-to-5.’ I kept going to different doctors, and when the UFC doctors found out, they literally pulled me out of the fight, and I had to go straight into surgery.
“They told me I was one punch away from getting paralyzed. So, after that surgery, here I am.”
Alexandre Pantoja welcomes all comers ahead of Brandon Moreno vs Amir Albazi
UFC flyweight champion Pantoja is keen to take on the most worthy contenders to his throne after his battle with Japanese sensation Asakura.
His division, after all, is steeped in quality, which is something that Pantoja highlighted in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani.
And so, with Moreno and Albazi colliding this Saturday, the winner could perhaps lay claim to being the Brazilian’s next formidable challenger.
Moreno, of course, lost a split decision to Pantoja last year, but will no doubt be looking to put his name back into the mix with a win over Albazi.