Rabat – Austrian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Wilhelm Ott announced his conversion to Islam on April 16, saying the COVID-19 crisis helped him find his faith.
He said in a post on Instagram that Islam has been on his mind for many years, but there were times when he “could do nothing with it.”
“I let myself be influenced politically. But when I had hard times, the Islamic faith gave me the necessary strength,” he said.
In the post, the MMA fighter uploaded a video with his Shahada or testimony, an Islamic creed and one of the five pillars of Islam that declares belief in the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as God’s messenger.
“My faith is now strong enough that I can recognize the only true God and speak the Shahada to be able to say proudly, yes I am a Muslim,” said Ott.
In another post, Ott expressed gratitude for the positive reactions he received from his fans and the Islamic community.
“It wasn’t my intention that it would be that big. I actually posted it because people around me and friends know it,” he said.
Ott, nicknamed “the amazing,” was born in 1982. He ranked 74th of 615 active EU Wester Pro Welterweights, according to MMA resource Tapology.
