UFC’s Abdul Razak Alhassan vents on previous sexual assault accusations

Simply over 4 years in the past, Abdul Razak Alhassan acquired a verdict that cleared his title of sexual assault allegations.

Listening to “not responsible” from a Texas jury was an enormous aid. Nevertheless, the UFC middleweight has struggled mentally with your entire state of affairs as a result of it’s nonetheless hooked up to him regardless of being cleared of the costs. Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) admits that transferring previous the accusations has been troublesome because it has modified him as an individual and fighter.

“I actually don’t discuss this a lot, however there was a time in my life that some dangerous accusation occurred to me, and I’m not going to lie, it f*cked me up mentally,” Alhassan began at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 59 media day (through Full Ship MMA). “I swear to God. All my fights, I attempt to come again and attempt to discover that ‘me.’ I couldn’t discover it, it doesn’t matter what I do.

“I’d be strolling in there, and I f*cking really feel ashamed. As a result of that’s the most evil, probably the most disgusting factor you possibly can connect. For any person who – I’m a really prideful particular person. To even have one thing to connect my title, it’s very disgusting. I attempted to neglect about it. I attempt to work on it mentally.”

Previous to coping with the authorized points, Alhassan was 10-1 as knowledgeable fighter, together with his lone loss coming within the UFC by cut up determination. He was extraordinarily assured, and constructed a three-fight profitable streak of first-round knockouts within the UFC.

Then, every thing modified.

Alhassan was burdened by false accusations of rape two weeks after he knocked out Niko Worth in September 2018. He wouldn’t return to the cage till July 2020, over three months after being cleared. When he returned, issues weren’t the identical. He misplaced three straight, together with lacking weight for the primary two. “Stuff simply went south,” as Alhassan put it.

In on a regular basis life, Alhassan has modified how he operates round girls. He says he now information every thing for his security and that his cellphone is full of audio recordings of interactions, even of probably the most routine occasions.

“I document every thing, I swear to God,” Alhassan mentioned. “I stroll into an elevator proper now, and if a lady walks in that with me, I flip my digital camera on straight away. If I open my cellphone, my audio proper now, I swear I’ve so many audios in my cellphone as a result of I’m scared. I’m frightened of what’s going to occur. Somebody’s going to do the identical sh*t to me? I’m frightened.”

Alhassan returns to the octagon at UFC on ESPN 59 in Denver to tackle Cody Brundage. It’s a chance to return to the win column after an October loss to Joe Pyfer. Though Alhassan misplaced to Pyfer, he believes the outing lastly received issues again on observe for him mentally, as he passionately vented his frustrations.

“In my head I used to be considering to myself, ‘I mounted myself. I mounted it,’” Alhassan mentioned. “However I swear to God, I by no means (did) till – I’ll thank Pyfer for that final struggle. After all, I used to be injured for that final struggle, however hey, you continue to should earn money. And I got here in there, however after that struggle, I really feel like that man made me discover that f*cking demon in me.

“That ‘f*ck every thing I’ve been occupied with myself.’ I’m going to cry. I’m going to do something I’ve to do, however I’ll by no means hand over. And that is that f*cking time, I swear to God I can not wait to place my hand on this motherf*cker. I swear, all of the anger I’ve in me, all of the anger  – I’m going to unleash it on this motherf*cker, I swear to God. All of the revenge I didn’t get on these evil motherf*ckers, that revenge that the regulation didn’t enable me to get from that – these b*tches. I swear, I’m going to unleash it on this motherf*cker. I swear to God.”

Alhassan issued a warning to Brundage (10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC), however later clarified he has no private points together with his upcoming opponent and wish to exit to eat or practice with him after they meet within the cage.

For Alhassan, it’s purely enterprise, and this struggle is solely one other a part of the method of overcoming the accusations that brought on him a lot psychological trauma.

“I’m telling you this now, for those who’re watching wherever the f*ck you’re, you higher kill me in that f*cking ring,” Alhassan mentioned. “You higher knock me the f*ck out that I can not transfer, however I swear to God, you’ll f*cking remorse that you just fought Razak, I swear to God. I’m going to unleash that f*cking demon in me.”

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