The possibility of a celebrity dwarf fight has come under fire, with accusations that it’s just a stunt to generate laughs.
Rumours of the MMA fight going ahead have been swirling following a social-media face-off between the two possible participants.
It’s unclear whether the face-off was a joke or a sign that the summit will be going ahead, but Russia’s Dwarf Athletic Association says the potential fight would be “unethical” as the sporting body branded it a “laughing show”.
The concerns began after the face-off between 18-year-old TikTok star Hasbullah Magomedov and Tajik singer Abdu Rozik, who is aged 17.
Uliana Podpalnaya, head of Russia's Dwarf Athletic Association, said: "It's not even like a show fight – they get paid a lot of money and it's a show to make people laugh.
"There's nothing serious about this, this isn't sport. This is unethical, wrong, from my point of view.”
She told gazeta.ru: "It seems to be that only on the one hand it can be correct and beautiful – if martial arts among small people are made a Paralympic sport.
"It could be judo, karate, and people will understand that this is a serious sport, serious performances, and not some kind of laughing show.
"Events like this don't draw attention to the sport of little people. If interest in this appears, it's only because a lot of money is being invested in it.
"And from the point of view of the sports career growth of these guys, there are no prospects."
It’s thought that any fight between Magomedov and Rozik would be organised by 19-year-old Chechen MMA heavyweight fighter Asxab Tamaev, who hosted the face-off.
Magomedov’s nickname is “Little Khabib”, which is a reference to former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The pair seem to have a bond, with the UFC star sharing videos of Magomedov on his social media channels.
Magomedov’s condition hasn't been officially confirmed, but he is thought to have a form of dwarfism. Hailing from the city of Makhachkala, he is 3ft 4in tall.
Rozik, meanwhile, is believed to have had rickets as a child, which resulted in stunted growth because his parents were unable to afford to treat it.
Born in Panjakent, Tajikistan, he has more than 350,000 YouTube subscribers, having made his mark by singing Tajik rap songs.
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