Finding Perspective in Persecution

Anything Amir Albazi encounters in the cage still seems easier than what he has endured in life. The undefeated flyweight prospect spent much of his youth fleeing persecution. Now 24, Albazi has grown accustomed to overcoming impediments, which gives him a leg up on his pursuit of personal success in mixed martial arts.

“Thank God I turned something negative into a positive,” Albazi told Sherdog.com. “I’m glad I found the sport.”

Albazi was born and raised in Baghdad following the first Gulf War. Life there was not easy, especially for those opposed to the tyrannical government.

“My father didn’t like Saddam Hussein and the regime itself,” Albazi said.

That dislike was likely exacerbated by the…