Hasbulla is a 20-year-old Russian internet personality. He has been at the center of a social media storm after a video of him mistreating his pet cat went viral. While some have come to his defense, others have cited the disturbing nature of the video and called for him to be cancelled.
In light of the controversy, No. 2 ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has spoken out in support of Hasbulla. He argued that people need to take his disability into account before jumping to conclusions.
O’Malley stated: “Well, we gotta remember he’s disabled. Or handicapped. He’s got a disability. We gotta remember. We look at him like a 20-year-old little person. He definitely has a disability.”
Hasbulla suffers from Growth Hormone Deficiency, also known as Dwarfism. While the condition doesn’t have any intellectual effects, O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch has revealed that he received conflicting reports regarding Hasbulla’s mental state from people who claimed to be familiar with him.
While one person claimed that Hasbulla had the mind of a third-grader, another stated that his mental state was normal.
Welch said: “In Dubai, they told us two different things. One person said he’s got the mind of a third-grader. The other person said no, he’s got a normal mind. Two people that knew him.”
Welch also condemns Hasbulla’s treatment of his pet cat. He stated that “it is f**ked up” and hoped someone had talked to him about the issue.
In response to the video, O’Malley expressed his distaste for Hasbulla’s actions and wished that someone would talk to him about the issue. He said: “I wish someone would do that to him.”
Hasbulla signed a five-year contract with the UFC last September after making an appearance at UFC 267.
While fans had hoped to see Hasbulla take on rival Abdu Rozik in the Octagon, he will currently work as a promoter for the UFC. For now, his involvement with the promotion will be limited to attending events, making media appearances, and selling UFC merchandise.