UFC middleweight defends Ali Abdelaziz amidst poaching allegations

Ali Abdelaziz was recently accused of trying to poach fighters from other management agencies by making promises to get them better contracts. However, UFC middleweight prospect Chris Curtis came to his defense and claimed the veteran manager never tried to lure him to Dominance MMA Management.

The Twitter thread began with Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick asking fighters to be wary of managers who tell them which coaches and gyms they should train at, and soon users began speculating that Nicksick was referring to Abdelaziz.

Ali Abdelaziz hit back at the accusers, prompting one Twitter user to justify the accusations. @MMAJOEYC wrote:

"Maybe it’s bc [because] you try to control where your fighters train & who they can do media with. Let’s not even talk about the fact you try & poach fighters from other management groups with promises of better contracts."

Replying to this, Chris Curtis, who is managed by Iridium Sports Agency, came to the 45-year-old's defense. 'The Action Man' tweeted in response:

"I have to take Ali's side here Joey. Like I have come to Ali before needing guidance and just help with management stuff. He never once tried to convince me to leave my management company. He sat down and helped me understand the situation better. Never tried to poach."

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Ali Abdelaziz confirms Kamaru Usman will face Leon Edwards amidst hand injury rumors

After UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson suggested that Kamaru Usman was dealing with some hand injuries late last year, many fans feared 'The Nigerian Nightmare' might pull out of his trilogy fight against Leon Edwards. However, Ali Abdelaziz has shot down such claims.

Earlier this month, Abdelaziz confirmed that his client's next fight will be for the title, tweeting:

"Please enough with the rumors, Kamaru is fighting León next, he is good to go. We bringing this belt back to where it belongs."

The UFC later confirmed that Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards will run it back on March 18th at the O2 Arena in London, England, in the main event of UFC 286. Another one of Ali Abdelaziz's clients, Justin Gaethje, will feature in the co-main event on the night.

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