An MMA Thanksgiving: 2020 All-Turkey Team
Mismanaged Funds
Ben
Duffy/Sherdog illustration
Abdul Razak Alhassan
Some fighters and officials still manage to amaze, even as the world goes through trials and tribulations most have never experienced. The sport of mixed martial arts screeched to a halt for a few months, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship was up and running again before summer. Returning events brought their share of those who made poor decisions. While turkeys can range in magnitude, few will rise to the level of a Mike Perry doing whatever he did in 2020, or equal Cody McKenzie’s sordid tale, or match athletes losing fights with bathtubs.
Instead, we turn to a borderline welterweight who returned to the sport after nearly two years away, a man who came back after being found not guilty on all charges for sexual assault. While this is unquestionably good news for the fighter and the sport as a whole, what happened over the next few months was not so positive for Alhassan.
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Alhassan was set to make his return in July against newcomer Mounir Lazzez at UFC on ESPN 13 in the main card opener. A huge betting favorite at -360 upon closing, Alhassan showed up to the weigh-ins three pounds heavy. In addition to a 20% fine, Alhassan lost the ability to take home a post-fight bonus should he earn one. The specific fine amount was undisclosed. Fighter salaries are not public information internationally, where the UFC acts as its own commission. Disclosures are no longer mandated in Nevada, either. Still, 20% is no laughing matter.
Throughout UFC history, seven fighters have missed weight and gone on to engage in a scrap that earned “Fight of the Night.” Six of those seven lost and subsequently surrendered their chance to take home an additional bonus check. In addition to the surprising upset loss, Alhassan’s thrilling bout did indeed earn “Fight of the Night” honors. With that, a $50,000 check dissolved into the ether, not counting the extra 20% he giftwrapped for his triumphant opponent.
Coming back four months later at UFC Fight Night 182 against an unheralded prospect in Kalinn Williams, the Fortis MMA fighter again blew weight by a pound and a half. The reason was not publicly disclosed. Whether Alhassan suffered an injury or a complication during the weight cut remains unknown. Instead, Alhassan became just the sixth fighter in company history to miss weight twice in a year. In doing so, he joined usual scale victims John Lineker, Johny Hendricks, Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Yoel Romero and Jennifer Maia, all having achieved this unfortunate distinction. Adding insult to injury, Williams recorded a 30-second “Knockout of the Year” candidate from a single piston-like right hand, stopping Alhassan for the first time in his career.
What makes matters worse is that by all regards, Alhassan is a likeable, well-spoken competitor who recognized that his weight cut against Lazzez was among the worst of his career. His fan-friendly style has earned admiration and previous bonus money, and he consistently hunts for the finish, with a 100% first-round knockout rate in victory. The Ghana-born Alhassan once competed as high as 190 pounds, and given his advancing age—35 and counting—the weight cut could become more difficult than when he was younger. Whatever the reasons, “Judo Thunder” flushed upwards of six figures down the drain by losing his battles with the scale. Gaining a reputation as a fighter that cannot make his mark is a difficult one to shake, and Alhassan might think about eating an extra bite of turkey over Thanksgiving to facilitate a move up to middleweight.
Continue Reading » Wasted Energy
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