Internet sensation Hasbulla came under fire after a viral video made the rounds showing the pint-sized star abusing his pet cat.
People online quickly called for the Russian to be canceled while others came to his aid, suggesting that the clip was blown out of proportion. Appearing on his YouTube channel, No. 2 ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley advised critics that they need to take Hasbulla’s disability into account, suggesting that it is just as much mental as it is physical.
“Well, we gotta remember he’s disabled. Or handicapped. He’s got a disability. We gotta remember. We look at him like a 20-year-old little person. He definitely has a disability,” O’Malley said.
Sean O’Malley’s Coach Tim Welch Was Told Two Different Things Regarding Hasbulla’s Disability
Hasbulla, 20, suffers from Growth Hormone Deficiency, otherwise known as Dwarfism. The condition does not have any type of intellectual effects, but O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch revealed that he had been told two different things regarding Hasbulla’s handicap from people that supposedly knew him well.
“In Dubai, they told us two different things. One person said he’s got the mind of a third-grader. The other person said no, he’s got a normal mind. Two people that knew him,” Welch revealed.
“But it is f*cked up. Hopefully, someone told him, ‘Hey, don’t beat on your f*cking cat.’ You can clearly see this cat is scared of you. Do not beat on it. If that cat was a little bigger, it would probably eat him. Seriously.”
In September, Hasbulla announced that he had signed a five-year contract with the promotion after making an appearance at UFC 267 the year prior. Many fans hoped the contract meant they would finally get to see Hasbulla break out his ‘Mini Khabib’ persona to take on rival Abdu Rozik inside the Octagon. For now, he’ll essentially operate as a mascot for the billion-dollar business, attending events, making media appearances, and selling merchandise to help further line the pockets of UFC president Dana White.
“I wish someone would do that to him,” O’Malley said in response to Hasbulla’s controversial cat video.