There are clearly more significant elements at play with Donald Trump’s controversial executive order than its impact on the sporting world, but this does bear noting.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is one of the few sporting organisations based in the United States of America that will be impacted by the order from the recently inaugurated President of the United States of America.
Last Friday, Trump signed an executive order which, for the next 90 days, bans entry to the US for travellers from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
The so-called ‘Muslim Ban’ remains one of the most divisive political moves in recent memory from any figure and the UFC, a diverse sporting organisation, has felt it necessary to respond.
Many fighters on the UFC roster hail from the Muslim-majority countries which have been specified by Trump and that could mean that upcoming fights may be in jeopardy.
The UFC has noted the order, and have addressed it in the below statement.
“We are aware of the federal travel ban,” a statement released to the Las Vegas Review-Journal read. “There are numerous variables including a judicial injunction.
“We are monitoring and will be affirmatively engaged to ensure that our fighters and employees are able to compete and do their jobs.”
One of the more high-profile fighters from one of the above countries is Iran-born Gegard Mousasi, the fifth-ranked middleweight in the UFC, and he is none the wiser when it comes to what Trump’s decision means for his upcoming UFC 210 clash against Chris Weidman in New York.
Mousasi has lived in the Netherlands for almost 30 years but the fact that he was born in Iran has left ‘The Dreamcatcher’ concerned about his bout.
“I don’t know,” Mousasi told MMA DNA, as transcribed by MMA Fighting. “The UFC is working on it.
“The lawyers and guys that take care of the visas. I just have to wait. They’re gonna change some things probably in a couple weeks, because there’s a lot of protests [about] the change. I just have to wait and see.”
