Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan State Security Service kidnaps Russian citizen of Talysh origin
Zahiraddin Ibrahimov, a Talysh historian, disappeared in Russia and was found several days later in Azerbaijan.
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Become a memberIn partnership with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Baku City Circuit (BCC) Operations Company, the UFC will host a debut event on 21 June at the Baku Crystal Hall. The match will see former UFC light heavyweight champion and No. 4 ranked contender Jamahal Hill take on No. 7 ranked contender Khalil Rountree Jr.
The match was announced on 11 April, with tickets scheduled to go on sale on 25 April.
‘Azerbaijan and the city of Baku have an incredible history of hosting massive global sporting events’, UFC President and CEO Dana White said, adding that the UFC has ‘so many great athletes from in and around this country that it was a natural next destination for us’.
In turn, the Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, noted that hosting the UFC in Baku ‘marks another significant milestone in our efforts to develop Azerbaijan as a regional sports leader’.
‘Thanks to President Ilham Aliyev’s unwavering support and attention, along with his successful sports policy, Azerbaijan has gained international recognition in the world of sports — and the city of Baku has established itself as a key hub for major global sporting events. This partnership with UFC further strengthens our reputation as a global sports hub, showcasing our commitment to sports development and international cooperation’, Gayibov said.
The General Director of the BCC Operations Company, Maqsud Farzullaev, issued a similar comment, noting that the event would ‘highlight the city’s world-class facilities’.
The UFC currently has two Azerbaijani fighters on its roster — Rafael Fiziev and Nazim Sadykhov, both of whom currently compete in the Lightweight division.
Sports and politics go hand-in-hand in Azerbaijan — according to a 2022 article by Eurasianet, at least 20 of the country’s sports organisations are headed by government officials. Indeed, Aliyev himself heads the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee, while his wife and the first vice president Mehriban Aliyeva heads the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation.
In addition, the country’s substantial oil revenues are put towards hosting expensive, international events, such as UEFA European Championship matches and the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 2024, Armenpress reported that unofficial reports suggested that Baku paid $34 million in 2016 and $57 million in 2023 for the right to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Russian tax authorities freeze former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s accounts, again
This marks the second such incident involving Nurmagomedov in the past two years.
Elizaveta Chukharova
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