Athlete enters with Al-Qaeda anthem and is expelled from MMA event

Karaoglu (photo) was in the main fight of KSW 35. Photo: Disclosure

The entrance song chosen for his last fight led to the dismissal of Turkish Aziz Karaoglu. While participating in an edition of the Polish KSW event held in Germany, Karaoglu chose the anthem of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda as his theme song in the ring and was summarily expelled by the organization.

See too

Director thinks about sequel to Aldo's film after rematch with McGregor

Nurmagomedov invites Cristiano Ronaldo to his corner for his next fight

Kimbo was waiting for a heart transplant when he died, says newspaper

Karaoglu's resignation came weeks after the event, after several complaints from fans about the content of the song chosen by the Turk. After investigations, KSW discovered that it was the jihadist anthem “Na'am Qaatil” adopted by the international extremist group with origins in Afghanistan.

In an official statement, the KSW organization repudiated the fighter's attitude and revealed that it had imposed a substantial fine on him. “Karaoglu's attitude meant that KSW ran the risk of having its brand tarnished, and of becoming involved in scandals, in addition to insulting public opinion and certain social groups. (…) He intentionally selected the music and made a mistake by not informing the event organizers of its content. For this reason, the fighter had his contract terminated and was fined £147 (around R$810). KSW makes it clear that it rejects any and all negative and discriminatory messages associated with this song,” the statement reads.

Aziz Karaoglu is 39 years old and has a professional record of nine wins and seven losses. In his history, the Turk has fought against notable names in MMA, including the Brazilian Maiquel Falcao, against whom he had his last victory. In the fight he entered with the Al-Qaeda anthem, Karaoglu ended up defeated by Mamed Khalidov in the main fight of KSW 35.