UFC featherweight contender Dennis Buzukja experienced a mix of triumph and frustration during his recent appearance at UFC Atlantic City. While celebrating his first win within the promotion, Buzukja found himself embroiled in a flag-related controversy that stirred emotions both on and off the octagon.
Buzukja, hailing from Staten Island, New York, proudly represents his Albanian heritage. However, his enthusiasm to display his ancestral flag was met with unexpected opposition from the UFC. Just moments before his walkout, Buzukja was informed that he couldn’t carry the Albanian flag into the arena due to purported irregularities, particularly its gold trim.
In a interview after, Buzukja humorously expressed his disbelief, stating, “It’s crazy. Right before I was going to walk out, they came and told me I can’t walk out with my flag because it had gold trim on it. And they were like, ‘Only the regular flag.’ You know it’s just gold trim, I didn’t understand. But I couldn’t walk out with it. I was like, ‘You’re going to get me crucified by the Albanian people.'”
In reality, UFC has this policy because of an Armenian separatist flag that was once displayed in the octagon. Since that incidence, UFC stars are only allowed to carry the official flag of their nation with the approval of their embassy.
Shahbazyan is an Armenian and most people watching the fight on Aug. 1, 2020 just thought he was displaying a provincial flag as he was introduced in the cage. But it turns out the truth is way different – the flag he displayed was of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, an internationally-unrecognized breakaway region technically belonging to Azerbaijan.
According to AXAR.az, “The Armenian athlete and his coaches apologized to the UFC,” “Reebok immediately stopped cooperating with the provocative Armenian and refused to finance it,” and “Dana White expelled from the UFC a 20-year-old employee who allowed the so-called flag to enter the ring.”
Despite the setback, Buzukja remains steadfast in his commitment to represent Albania on the global stage of MMA. He draws inspiration from UFC veterans like Ilir Latifi, recognizing them as trailblazers for Albanian fighters in the sport.
The UFC’s flag ban, previously linked to geopolitical tensions, has undergone a reversal. CEO Dana White lifted the ban in October last year, signaling a shift in the promotion’s stance. However, stringent guidelines dictate that flags must adhere to standard formats, without any irregularities.
