MOSCOW, November 10 (R-Sport) - Players at Russian football club Anzhi Makhachkala will take to the pitch Sunday in t-shirts supporting boxer Magomed Abdusalamov, who remains in critical condition in a New York City hospital after suffering a stroke.
In a November 2 bout in Madison Square Garden, Abdusalamov lost his WBC United States title to Cuba’s Mike Perez by unanimous decision after 10 brutal rounds. The 32-year-old Dagestani native was taken to hospital with a broken nose and left hand, but a further exam discovered a blood clot in his brain. The clot was surgically removed and the southpaw was put into a medically induced coma.
"Anzhi will come out to the game in shirts supporting the boxer Magomed Abdusalamov," the club said on Twitter.
Abdusalamov was born and raised in Makhachkala, an impoverished and mainly Muslim city on the Caspian Sea with a rich heritage of producing top-class fighters.
The Perez defeat was Abdusalamov's first career loss after 18 wins and derailed his plans to take on WBC world champion Vitali Klitschko.
Anzhi's game on Sunday is in Perm against local team Amkar. The club is at the bottom of the Russian Premier League table is seeking its first victory of a torrid domestic season.
