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WWE Hall-of-Famer and all-around legend Iron Sheik has unfortunately passed away at 81 and Al Iaquinta, among many others in the MMA community, have paid his tribute to the professional wrestling icon. The star will go down as one of the greatest heels of his time due to the success he had in the sport.
Following his retirement from wrestling, Iron Sheik could be found trashing Hulk Hogan at any chance he got on his social media. The two shared an intense rivalry during their days in World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) which ultimately made Hogan one of the biggest television faces of the 1980s.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Al Iaquinta shared a short clip of the Iranian locking in his renowned camel clutch finishing move on his long-term rival, accompanied by a short message.
Alongside a large number of accolades outside of the WWF, it was winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983 and later winning the WWF Tag Team titles with Nikolai Volkoff at Wrestlemania 1 that cemented his legacy.
Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and will go down in history for his achievements. Until this day, the wrestler was the only champion in WWE history from Iran.
Which UFC star referenced The Iron Sheik ahead of his title fight?
The Iron Sheik has held a huge part in combat sports fans' hearts since his rivalry with Hulk Hogan in the 80s, so much so that a current UFC champion referenced him as he approached a title defense.
Ahead of his UFC 280 bout against TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling sent a threatening message to his opponent riddled with references of the pro wrestling standout.
In a bout that he went on to win with relative ease and defend his throne, 'Funk Master' labeled the title challenger a 'jabroni' and insisted that 'someone will be humbled' ahead of their clash last year.
"Someone will be humbled! I will make the Iron Sheikie baby proud, with camel clutch! I break your back then suplex you! There is no escape now, jabroni!"
