"I don't know the reasons behind this, maybe something political" - Nasrat Haqparast on "heartbreaking" flag ban rule, hopes to represent Afghanistan in future (Exclusive)

Nasrat Haqparast (13-5) will face former training partner John Makdessi (18-7) in a lightweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa this Saturday, September 3, at the Accor Arena in France, Paris. The event marks the UFC's first event in France, and Haqparast looks forward to being part of the historic card.

However, a few days before the event, Nasrat Haqparast penned an emotional post on social media expressing his disappointment at his inability to represent his native country of Afghanistan in his upcoming fight. Born in Germany to Afghan parents, the lightweight fighter has always been proud of his heritage and carried the flag on his shoulders. For his upcoming bout, though, Haqparast will represent Morocco, per his Instagram post.

See the post below:

Speaking to Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA, Nasrat Haqparast gave his thoughts on the unfortunate situation:

"Actually we are not even allowed to bring in physical flags, but the show is going to show the Moroccan logo because I'm not allowed to use the Afghan flag. I don't know the reasons behind this, maybe something political or something, I don't know... I need to follow the rules.

"Of course, [it's] very heartbreaking because Afghanistan has a crazy history, it's very very sad to see, especially the last year was very tough and now I cannot represent the flag... But Morocco is now my second home and I'm very proud to represent Morocco because also we have very similar culture. The people are very similar. So I see us all as brothers, as a big community..."

Haqparast continued and stated that he hopes to be able to represent his native country in the future once the political scenario changes. The U.S war in Afghanistan ended after two decades in 2021, which saw the Taliban return to power in the country.

Watch our exclusive interview with Nasrat Haqparast below:

---

He has a lot of surprises - Nasrat Haqparast predicts Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira

The Afghan native competes in what many consider the most stacked division in the UFC - 155lbs. Although the division is currently without a champion owing to Charles Oliveira's weight fiasco at UFC 274, a fight between Oliveira and Islam Makhachev will headline UFC 280 for the vacant title.

Giving his thoughts on the upcoming contest, Nasrat Haqparast said he is rooting for his friend Islam Makhachev to emerge victorious:

"Islam is a good friend of me, for sure I am [an] Islam fan in this fight but also, Oliveira, he surprise us a lot. His journey is also very impressive... you never know, because Charles is, he have a lot of, let's say, surprises."

Haqparast will look to bounce back from his recent losses and string together a winning streak to make his way toward the lightweight title.