Ottman Azaitar is not only off of tomorrow night’s UFC 257 card, he has also been cut from the promotion altogether.
Earlier today during the UFC 257 weigh-ins, it was revealed that Ottman Azaitar failed to weigh in. As a result, his bout against Matt Frevola was pulled from the card. It has now been revealed that Azaitar violated safety protocols and has subsequently been released from the UFC.
As reported by Farrah Hannoun of MMA Junkie, Azaitar and his team cut their wristbands and handed them off to individuals who were outside of the safe zone, who were then snuck past security members. The entire ordeal was caught on camera. You can view Dana White’s full account of the events that led to Azaitar’s release here. As of this writing, there has been no comment from Azaitar or his team.
Wasted Potential For Undefeated Prospect
This is truly an unfortunate turn of events for all parties involved. Azaitar showed a lot of promise and was a bright prospect for the UFC. The 30-year-old Azaitar currently holds an undefeated record of 13-0 and made a splash in his first two UFC fights. He had a successful UFC debut at UFC 242 when he knocked out Teemu Packalen in the first round at UFC 242 and then followed that up by TKOing another prospect with some hype behind him in Khama Worthy last September to hand Worthy his first UFC defeat.
The UFC thought highly enough of Ottman Azaitar to place him on the UFC 257 main card opposite Matt Frevola. And if the oddsmakers and public were right in their estimation, Azaitar would have moved to 3-0 in the UFC in front of a global audience, potentially with a third KO. All such possibilities are now out the window along with Azaitar’s UFC career.
Matt Frevola will now be taking on Arman Tsaryukan at UFC 257.
UFC 257 takes place Saturday, January 23, 2021 from the Etihad Arena on Fight Island.
