UFC president and CEO Dana White has shocked fans after he appears to have accepted a insane request during a press conference.
The UFC returns to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi this weekend for the highly-anticipated featherweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.
Ahead of the event, all fighters on the main card came face to face at the press conference on Thursday afternoon with many exchanged verbal blows before they get their hands on each other on Saturday.
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However, the biggest moment of the press conference came from a member of the public, who shocked fans after making an insane request which looks like it may have been accepted by UFC boss White.
After the fighters had said their piece, members of the audience were given the opportunity to ask questions, and one fan took the chance to get on the microphone and ask White to sign him to the MMA organisation.
Speaking directly to the UFC chief, the fighter pleaded: “I am undefeated elite athlete from Tajikistan, Nabotov Dorobshokh, nine wins, zero losses.
"Dana, I don’t have a question I came here for a fight on short notice. I’ve never had a manager, I did it all by myself, please give me a chance Dana, I want to fight in the UFC please give me a chance, I’m ready, please Dana, I want to fight. "
Somewhat taken aback by Dorobshokh's bold request, White responded by asking the fighter for his record, age and which weight division he fights in.
The Tajikstan fighter confirmed that he was 25 years old and boasted a 9-0 record fighting at lightweight, but White was not sold yet as he questioned why he did not attempt to break into the UFC through the contender series.
He asked: "Where were you on the Contender Series, the Contender Series just ended, where were you?"
But eventually, White relented and invited the unbeaten prospect on stage to shake his hand and speak to other members of the UFC team.
Once on stage, Dorobshokh briefly spoke to White and greeted Russian fighter Magomed Ankalaev, before reportedly swapping numbers with Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell.
Topics: UFC, Dana White, MMA, Max Holloway
Ben McCrum