My interview with UFC No. 3 ranked flyweight Amir Albazi, who returns after heart and neck surgery and a 17-month layoff on Saturday to face former champion Brandon Moreno in a main event fight on ESPN.
My conversation with Albazi (17-1) covered his rags to riches journey living in Iraq under Saddam Hussein's reign and then in Syria and Sweden as a refugee and a gang member robbing people, and all the way to London to graduate college.
Albazi is a perfect 5-0 in the UFC and is already drawing comparisons to Ilia Taporia’s rise – the all-around mixed martial artist Albazi has 9 wins by submission, 5 via KO, and 9 first-round finishes.
A win against Moreno, who's fought everyone under the sun, would allow “The Prince” Albazi to graduate to a title shot.
