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From Prison to the King’s Palace: Abu Azaitar’s UFC Hamburg debut marred by criminal past

On Sunday, July 22nd, the UFC will return to the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany for a fight night headlined by a light-heavyweight match-up between former champ Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Anthony Smith. The main card will also feature the long-awaited debut of German-Moroccan fighter Abu Azaitar, a talented welterweight with a disturbing criminal past and concerning ties to some of the most notorious men in Germany.

Born in Cologne to parents who immigrated from Morocco, Abu Azaitar (born Abu Bakr Azaitar) grew up with a traditional Islamic upbringing.