Israeli MMA star Haim Gozali has made a revelation, claiming that he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Ukraine last week. Gozali, who was in Ukraine to participate in a competition, took to social media to share a harrowing account of the incident, which left him and his companions stranded on a hotel roof.
According to Gozali, the attempted assassination occurred shortly after he, his son Elad, and coach Ben El Hasid arrived at a hotel in a city near the Romanian border. The trio managed to escape the scene and was assisted by local police, who ultimately deported them from the country.
Gozali, who has been a vocal critic of anti-Semitic rhetoric, has been the target of online hostility in the past. In September, he challenged a star over a comment that stated “Jewish people are just guests of Palestine, respect them for giving you asylum. One day they will expel you from Palestine, Inshallah.” Gozali’s response sparked controversy, and he has since been the subject of over 100 propaganda videos in the Muslim world, many of which feature MMA fighters.
In November, Gozali sparked outrage when he posted an image of a bomb with the names of four UFC fighters who are Muslim, accompanied by a caption that read “This is from me to the,” followed by a rat emoji. The post was later taken down.
Gozali’s recent ordeal in Ukraine has raised concerns about his safety, particularly given the sensitive nature of his past comments. When questioned about the incident, Gozali stated, “The police tried to silence the incident and did not allow us to stay in the country. We were immediately deported.”
Gozali also made plenty of enemies over the years inscribing names of many prominent pro Palestine MMA stars on various projectiles.
