US President Donald Trump has issued via executive order an enormously controversial travel ban. It prohibits all refugees from entering the US for 120 days. Further, it has a temporary 90-day ban on immigrants from seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) that were identified by the previous administration as countries of concerns for terrorist activity.
Iranian-born UFC middleweight Gegard Mousasi is currently training in his adopted home of Holland for a fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 210, which will be held in Buffalo, New York. The Dreamcatcher was asked by MMA DNA if the ban would effect him.
I don’t know, the UFC is working on it – the lawyers and guys that take care of the visa, said Mousasi. So I just have to wait. They’re going to change some things probably, in a couple weeks, because there’s a lot of protests of the change. I just have to wait and see.
“I was born in Iran. I have Dutch nationality. I have visa for US. Rule is, even if you’re born in Iran, you’re a threat. So … I don’t know.”
“It’s going to ruin the relationship between countries. The US is on a wrong path.”
Mousasi also said his training camp was off to a good start.
The UFC released a statement to the media.
We are aware of the federal travel ban. 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.
Other Iran-born UFC fighters include Beneil Dariush and Reza Madadi.
