Matt Hamill showed that deaf athletes can compete inside the Octagon several years ago, graduating to the UFC after a strong run on Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter before amassing 15 appearances in the light heavyweight division, competing against the likes of Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, and Alexander Gustafsson.
This weekend, Askar Askarov looks to shift from following in Hamill’s footsteps to forging a new path by taking out Kai Kara-France and putting himself in position to potentially challenge for the UFC flyweight title later this year.
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“I’m very happy and proud to represent deaf community and I always feel their support,” Askarov said through a translator in the lead up to his clash with Kara-France on Saturday.
Despite having roughly 80 percent hearing loss, Askarov has thrived throughout his athletic career. Like Hamill, the 29-year-old was a wrestling gold medalist at the Deaflympics, following up that effort with a bronze medal at the World Deaf Championship before making the move to the UFC.
After battling former champion Brandon Moreno to a draw in his debut, Askarov has collected three straight victories to push his record to 14-0-1 heading into this weekend’s clash with the ascending talent from New Zealand.
“I train same way as all other fighters,” said Askarov when asked about his preparations, given that he cannot hear instructions mid-fight the same way his opponents can. “I’m not doing anything specific; just hard work and dedication, that what means the most.”
Askarov has been on the cusp of contention for well over a year now, establishing himself as a legitimate threat with a unanimous decision win over Alexandre Pantoja two summers ago in Abu Dhabi and following it with a similar result opposite perennial contender Joseph Benavidez last March. But the championship trilogy between Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo, coupled with a stint on the sidelines due to injury allowed the rest of the contending pack to gain ground on him, including Kara-France.
While most would view losing pole position in the chase for the championship as a frustration, the unbeaten rising star sees his time away as a net positive.