Fun, of all things, derailed Nasrat Haqparast’s UFC debut. Eight years after he had first stepped into a gym in Hamburg, Germany, he had made it into the Octagon – eight years filled with hard work and staying away from anything that wouldn’t get him closer to his goal of becoming the best fighter in the world.
Now that he had made it onto the biggest stage of all, he enjoyed the fruits of his labor – a little too much. Haqparast lost his first battle, but war has only just begun for the 22-year-old, who will make his second Octagon appearance this Saturday at UFC Fight Night London
“My life has turned around completely,“ the lighweight fighter said.