Danish Mixed Martial Arts fighter Nicolas Dalby took to Instagram Tuesday night to petition the UFC to sign fellow Denmark-based Rumble Sports fighter Damir “The Bosnian Bomber” Hadzovic (10-2) ahead of the UFC’s Zagreb event. Dalby had strong words in favor of his teammate, stating “If anyone deserves this it’s [Damir] who’s demolished all of his opponents in brutal fashion the last couple of years. No European lightweights wants to meet him because he’s so good.”
Hadzovic, (currently the #2 ranked Nordic lightweight) has not lost since dropping a decision to current UFC Middleweight fighter Krzysztof Jotko (16-1) in April of 2012, and is currently riding a 6 fight winning streak.
Though Hadzovic hasn’t fought since May of 2015, he seems eager to make his professional MMA return his biggest fight yet. Hadzovic openly represents Denmark, but is fired up at this potential opportunity due to Croatia’s close proximity to his birth country of Bosnia. “This is the closest they have ever been to my birthplace, my roots are in Bosnia,” Hadzovic said, “It would truly be a dream come true one day to be fighting in [the] UFC in the land of Balkans.”
The addition of another highly-ranked Nordic fighter to the UFC roster would only serve to bolster the interest of fans in the developing Nordic markets, which may currently be a pivotal part of the UFC’s European expansion strategy. The UFC will host two events in Europe in coming months, bringing the Octagon to Zagreb and Rotterdam for the first time in hopes of strengthening the European market with significant attention. One could theorize that a stronger stable of European fighters would only benefit this goal, and Hadzovic seems both excited and prepared for the opportunity.
