Russian Invasion: MMA Twitter calls for release of Georgian fighter arrested for protesting against Russian politics with #freematesanikidze

MMA Twitter calls for release of Georgian fighter arrested for protesting against Russian politics with #freematesanikidze

By Will Miles

Modified Mar 09, 2023 13:16 GMT

Mate Sanikidze (left), Kyiv, Ukraine (right) [Images courtesy of @oktagonofficial & @uarealitynow on Twitter]

Georgian MMA fighter Mate Sanikidze has been arrested in his home country after protesting against Russia's politics and their invasion of Ukraine.

Sanikidze is an MMA fighter who is the current featherweight champion for the OKTAGON promotion. 'The NextGen' is 9-2 in his professional career and has a bout scheduled for April 29.

A friend of the Georgian fighter shared a post on Twitter that has rallied the support of MMA fans in the comments. Giorgi Kokiashvili stated that he was proud to call Mate Sanikidze his friend as he stood up for what he believed in:

One fan responded by condemning the Russian invasion and hoped the 24-year-old would be freed soon:

Twitter user Alex Petrik supported Sanikidze for being someone who also fights for good causes, not just in the cage:

Ukrainian MMA fighter Yaroslav Amosov pays tribute to country after Bellator 291 win

Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov recently sent a heartfelt message to his home country and the people of Ukraine following his victory at Bellator 291.

Amosov defeated interim champion Logan Storley via unanimous decision in the main event of the night. Their clash was a rematch of their tightly contested bout at Bellator 252, which saw the Ukrainian fighter narrowly win via split decision.

The 29-year-old, who briefly returned home to defend his country, was visibly emotional during his post-fight interview with John McCarthy. 'Dynamo' grabbed the microphone and used his speech to criticize Russian leader Vladimir Putin as well as thank the soldiers fighting to protect Ukraine:

About the author

Will began his tenure at Sportskeeda as an MMA writer over 2 years ago and has penned over 1800 pieces so far, including 35+ exclusives, which have garnered close to 5 million views.

Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from Bournemouth University, where he was also a valued member of their communications team. His degree heavily focused on social media and writing, which eventually led him toward sports writing.

He turned into an MMA fan after witnessing Conor McGregor’s 13-second TKO win over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 2015. The Irishman sits at the top of his list of top-five MMA fighters of all time, which also includes world champions like Demetrious Johnson, Michael Bisping, Max Holloway, and Georges St-Pierre.

Will especially enjoys working on event days and feels his contribution to Sportskeeda’s UFC 300 coverage was one of the high points of his time with the organization. He ensures his articles are accurate by going through multiple sources, which also helps his writing be as informative as possible.

His interests away from work include football, gaming, live streaming, and listening to music.

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