UFC light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz has challenged Kurt Zouma to “try to kick” him after a video emerged of the West Ham defender kicking his own cat.
West Ham said in a statement that they “unreservedly condemn the actions of our player”, but Zouma was selected to start in the team’s 1-0 win against Watford on Tuesday night – hours after the footage of the centre-back dropping, kicking and slapping his cat had surfaced online.
A police enquiry into Zouma’s actions was launched, while former UFC champion Blachowicz expressed his disgust with the France international’s behaviour.
“If you are so tough motherf****r, @KurtZouma, try to kick me,” the Polish fighter tweeted.
“What a piece of s***. No tolerance for animal cruelty.”
Blachowicz, 38, has a professional mixed martial arts record of 28-9 – with eight knockouts and nine submission wins to his name. He held the UFC light heavyweight title between 2020 and 2021, having lost the belt in his last contest when he was submitted by Glover Teixeira.
West Ham coach David Moyes defended his decision to start Zouma in the Premier League win against Watford, saying after the match: “I’m really disappointed, and the club have taken all the action they can do at the moment behind the scenes. My job is to pick the best team and Kurt was part of that.
“I’m a big animal lover and it’s something that will have affected a lot of people. I’m someone who cares a lot about my dogs and my horses. The club are dealing with it as you well know.
“I was completely disappointed with what I saw and what I was told, but my job was to try and find a way to get a win for West Ham. Some people will be disappointed and I understand that.”
