UFC welterweight Peter Sobotta will have the home fans behind him on Saturday night when he takes on Nicolas Dalby at UFC Fight Night Hamburg, but he recently switched his allegiance to a country very far away from Germany.
Sobotta was born in Poland but raised in Germany, so he obviously identifies with both countries, but as SBG's Artem Lobov recently found out when he tried to have an Irish shamrock with a Russian flag on his fight gear, the UFC don't allow you to represent two countries. You can represent none, that's fine, but not two apparently.
But Peter doesn't want to choose. In fact, he claimed that he's had enough with people getting upset whether he aligns himself with either Germany, or Poland, that he's going to represent Jamaica instead.
Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend's event, Peter Sobotta gave his reasons for the unusual move:
VIDEO: #UFCHamburg veteran @PeterSobotta announces shock change of allegiance - to Jamaica! https://t.co/AvnZvFHT4z pic.twitter.com/bYPtA9VHdy
— Simon Head (@simonhead) September 2, 2016
'Are you Polish or are you German?' is a question in my entire life, and I really don't like this question because of course I have two hearts. I have this Polish side and this German side, and whatever I say, somebody gets annoyed.
This is why I chose to represent Jamaica.
I also want to send out the message that it's not important where you are form, but who you are.
I grew up with reggae music, my father was a big Bob Marley fan, so when I was a baby I started listening and I'm a big Bob Marley fan. I've travelled the world, unfortunately I haven't been to Jamaica but I'm going there in December and I've met a lot of Jamaican people and I just love their approach, very chill, very open. I like this country.
Nobody tell Nate Diaz it's not important where you are from!
Seriously though, fair play to him. He doesn't want to be forced to choose between two countries he loves so he's option for one he thinks is cool instead.
