Sasha Palatnikov says UFC refusing to let him use Hong Kong flag was ‘the dumbest thing ever’

Hong Kong’s first fighter in the UFC has shed light on how he was prevented from using the city’s flag for his bouts in the Octagon.

He is already back in the win column, defeating Kyren Bowen by first-round TKO at last month’s XMMA 4 event, and returns on Friday night opposite Joshua Jones in Las Vegas as the headline act of Tuff-N-Uff 128.

The 33-year-old will proudly bear the colours of his home city, where he was born and raised by his Russian father and Scottish mother. It will be in stark contrast to his time in the UFC, which has now implemented a flag ban for fighter walkouts – largely because of Palatnikov’s experience.

“Hell yeah, it definitely won’t be an issue, I don’t know why it ever was,” Palatnikov told the Post. “It was the dumbest thing ever. But I’m definitely gonna be rocking the Hong Kong flag.

“I think I was the beginning of it in the UFC. Not a lot had happened with it, then all of a sudden it happened with me and it definitely got spoken about quite a bit.

“People were asking me. I had to be kinda hush-hush on it, because I didn’t want to affect anything, even back home for my family. So I didn’t want to say anything, but in reality it’s the dumbest s*** ever.

“Come on, it makes no sense. If anyone’s feelings are being hurt that’s just offensive in the first place. What’s offensive about representing Hong Kong? I can’t even represent China. I’m not allowed to. I’ve literally represented Hong Kong since I was a kid. I have no choice. So it would be false for me to claim any other place.”