PFL bans Ali Abdelaziz from events pending resolution of battery case

Controversial manager Ali Abdelaziz has been barred from Professional Fighters League events pending the legal resolution of an incident at a recent card in Las Vegas.

Abdelaziz was cited for battery by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. after the Oct. 11 incident. In that melee, news of which was broken by MMA Junkie, Abdelaziz is alleged to have punched rival manager Abe Kawa in the face in what witnesses have described as an unprovoked attack. The LVMPD’s official report stated Abdelaziz hit Kawa “in his face with a closed fist.”

With the PFL returning to Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center on Thursday night, the same venue where the scuffle took place, the PFL has directed Abdelaziz to stay away from the company’s events while the matter winds through the legal system.

“At league direction, Ali Abdelaziz will not be attending upcoming postseason events,” the PFL told promotional partner ESPN on Wednesday night. “Given the fact this is a legal matter, the league has no further comment at this time.”

PFL declined further comment when reached by MMA Junkie.

Abdelaziz and Kawa represent two of the most prominent management firms in mixed martial arts. Abdelaziz’s Dominance MMA has a list of clients which includes Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo, and Frankie Edgar. Kawa’s group, First Round Management, includes the likes of Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, and Jorge Masvidal.

Abdelaziz is the former matchmaker for World Series of Fighting, the PFL’s predecessor. He was eventually asked to step aside due to potential conflict-of-interest issues. He has several clients competing on Thursday’s card in Las Vegas.