Aboubakar Younousov claims Nathaniel Wood rejected short-notice UFC Paris bout

Ares FC bantamweight champion Aboubakar Younousov claims he offered to fight Nathaniel Wood at UFC Paris on short notice but was turned down due to his surname. Wood’s original opponent, Mairon Santos, withdrew from the event scheduled for September 5 at Accor Arena. Younousov, who holds an 8-0 record, alleged that fighters with surnames originating from the Caucasus region face increased scrutiny and bias when seeking UFC opportunities. The matchup did not materialize, and undefeated prospect Pavel Andrusca has been named as the replacement to face Wood at the upcoming event. Younousov remains confident that he will secure a place in the organization despite the hurdles he perceives in the matchmaking process.

• 3:12 AMSherdog — UFC hopeful says his ‘-ov’ surname made Nathaniel Wood turn him down