Amir Aliakbari’s time with the UFC was over before it began, but the heavyweight prospect is making the move to another major promotion after signing with ONE Championship.
The Singapore-based organization announced the signing of Aliakbari (10-1) on Tuesday, after an initial report by ESPN. Aliakbari, who hails from Iran, is a two-time Greco-Roman wrestling world champion.
In May 2019, Aliakbari signed with the UFC, only to see his debut indefinitely postponed. It’s unclear if the delay had to do with sanctions Aliakbari faced prior to joining the UFC (Aliakbari failed drug tests in 2010 and 2013, the second of which resulted in a lifetime ban from the former International Wrestling Federation) or a contract dispute with Aliakbari’s previous employer Absolute Championship Akhmat.