Former ACA welterweight champion Abubakar
Vagaev has signed with the
UFC.
Vagaev recently confirmed the UFC signing with a contract in his
hands. The 32-year-old thanked Khamzat
Chimaev for playing a pivotal role in his UFC signing. Vagaev
also expressed his gratitude to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who
is a close ally of Chimaev.
One Era Ends, Another Begins
“Assalamu alaikum, friends. Now that I have a contract with the UFC
in hand, I can announce – I’m joining the UFC,” Vagaev wrote on
Instagram. “My time in the ACA League has come to an end. I’m
relinquishing my championship reign. It’s been an exciting 12 years
and nearly 30 fights. I’ve won the belt three times, and that’s our
legacy. Thank you to the organization for understanding my
situation and being accommodating. I’ve always been accommodating
to my beloved League. Now it’s time to move in a different
direction. I express my sincere gratitude to Ramzan Akhmatovich
Kadyrov for his constant support throughout my athletic journey. I
also want to thank Khamzat
Chimaev, who played a key role in my signing with the UFC.”
Vagaev was a champion at WFCA, which was later acquired by ACA.
Currently on a three-fight winning streak, Vagaev won the ACA
welterweight title for the second time against Albert
Tumenov in his latest outing this past February. Chimaev was in
the corner of fellow Chechyan Vagaev during his title
win.