Update: Ex-UFC fighter Ahmad Hassanzada facing six felony counts after recent arrest, co-defendant named

MMA fighter Ahmad Hassanzada was recently arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor. As a result, Hassanzada was taken off the upcoming UFC Kansas City card, where he was scheduled to take on Evan Elder. He was also removed from the promotion.

According to combat sports news outlet MMA Junkie, Hassanzada made an appearance in front of the Sacramento Superior Court this Tuesday for his bail and pre-trial release hearing, which has been rescheduled for April 30.

Four felony charges related to offenses against a child aged 14 or 15 were brought against the 28-year-old. In addition, he faced two counts of serious crime against an individual who is expected to be under the age of 14.

Along with Hassanzada, amateur MMA fighter Khairullah Kakar was also charged with three counts of felony related to offenses against a child under the age of 14. According to Judge Benjamin Cassidy, the period of accusations that led to Hassanzada's arrest was from Feb. 9, 2024, to Feb. 27, 2024. For Kakar, it was from Dec. 15, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024.

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Hassanzada and Kakar remain in custody, and bail for each man has been set at $400,000. MMA Mania shared the official police report, which can be found below:

Screenshot of the official police report

According to ABC 10, Hassanzada (12-3) is a fighter from Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, a martial arts gym based in Sacramento, California. The Afghan fighter earned a UFC contract by securing a third-round submission win over Dylan Mantello at Dana White's Contender Series: Season 8, Week 6 last year. He was set to make his octagon debut this weekend at UFC Kansas City.

The UFC issued a statement in response to Hassanzada's arrest, citing that 'Lion of the Ring' is no longer associated with the multi-billion-dollar organization.

''Ahmad Hassanzada was removed from his bout and is no longer signed to the organization'' [H/t: MMA Mania]

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Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena