UFC women's flyweight Maryna Moroz has slammed Vladimir Putin after Russia declared war on her native Ukraine last week.
Since sending Russian forces into the country, 352 civilians have been killed while more than 1600 more people have been wounded, according to the country's interior ministry.
Several Ukrainian fighters such as unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov have returned to Ukraine to defend their country.
Moroz is preparing to face Mariya Agapova at UFC 272 on Saturday, but admits she is worried for her family in Ukraine ahead of her fight.
The 'Iron Lady' is furious with the Russian President for ordering his troops into her native country and sent a brutal message to him when talking with TMZ.
“I want to say: ‘F*** you, b****,” she said. “I love my country. Don’t touch Ukraine. This is my country, and I love Ukraine.”
“It’s a hard time for Ukraine. There’s a big war right now. I want to support my country, my president, the army in Ukraine, and I want to say that we don’t want war. I worry about my family right now in Ukraine.
“If you see (the) news, many, many people are dying right now and I don’t want something to happen with my family because it’s dangerous.”
“It’s really hard (to get ready for the fight), but I want to show that my Ukraine girl heart is strong and focused,” Moroz said. “I don’t step back. I will be fighting and I will show that the Ukraine people are strong. My flag will be in the octagon.”
Moroz is one of just three fighters on the UFC roster from Ukraine, with light heavyweights Nikita Krylov and Askar Mozharov being the other two.
What are your thoughts on Maryna Moroz's message to Vladimir Putin? Let us know in the comments section below
The 30-year-old was born in the Eastern city of Vilnohirsk in 1991, just one month after Ukraine split from the Soviet Union to become an independent country.
Moroz said her family is so concerned with the ongoing situation that her father has begun to make "home grenades" to defend themselves.
American fighter Brian Kelleher, who fights on the same card as Moroz this Saturday, revealed he will also be walking out with a Ukraine flag to show solidarity with the country.
