Manager: UFC’s Adlan Amagov not quitting MMA for religion

Manager Sam Kardan was just as surprised as other MMA fans when he heard his client, UFC welterweight Adlan Amagov, was quitting the sport for religion.

Then he called Amagov, who is a practicing Muslim. The fighter laughed at a rumor he was going to become a spiritual leader.

“There’s a lot of rumors on the Internet, and it has absolutely nothing to do with what’s going on,” Kardan today told MMAjunkie.

What is going on, Kardan said, is a matter Amagov (13-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) would like to keep private. The fighter is undergoing personal issues that he needs to resolve before returning to the cage.

“He’s a very private guy, and he doesn’t really want to talk about that stuff,” Kardan said.

Nevertheless, Kardan said he’s been deluged with hundreds of messages asking about the rumor, which took root after an Instagram post apparently connected to the fighter’s team circulated online.

“I can guarantee there’s nothing further than the truth than he’s quitting for religious purposes,” Kardan said. “He’s been religious all his life, and he’s been fighting all his life.”

Amagov, however, withdrew this past week from a booking opposite Jason High at UFC Fight Night 35, which takes place Jan. 15 at Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. The disclosed reason for his withdrawal was an injury, but Kardan said the fighter is healthy.

Kardan declined to identify the issues facing Amagov. The manager said he’ll sit down with fighter after the new year to discuss his plans for the future and whether he’ll compete again.

“The possibility is that he may take a little break and come back,” Kardan said. “That’s what we’re looking at right now. We haven’t had a discussion of retirement or anything like that. He just needs a little time off right now.

“It’s just something in the family. He needs to be with his family right now. It’s nothing too tragic or anything like that. It’s just very private.”

Amagov most recently appeared in the octagon in October at UFC 166, where he earned a first-round knockout of T.J. Waldburger. Previously, he made his promotional debut with a unanimous decision win over Chris Spang at UFC on FUEL TV 9.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.