Ali Bagautinov has officially entered the political sphere in his native Dagestan.

The former UFC flyweight title challenger revealed on Tuesday afternoon that he had been elected as a member of the Public Chamber of the Republic of Dagestan.

"Thank you all for your support, it's a chance for me to contribute to the development of social activities in the Republic of Dagestan," said Bagautinov. "At this time, I'm preparing for a fight in the UFC, after the fight I will come to Dagestan and will be engaged in the promotion and development of sports in our country. "

The Public Chamber was established by the Russian Federation in 2005 serve as a medium between citizen interaction with state authorities and local governments to "take into account the needs and interests of citizens, protect their rights and freedoms in the formation and implementation of public policies, as well as for the implementation of public control over the activities of the authorities."

While not specified, the 30-year-old Bagautinov will likely be involved in sports related matter in Dagestan, as he vowed to help the development of athletics in his republic. As a two-time world champion in combat Sambo, a world champion in Pankration, a five-time Russian champion in combat Sambo and a two-time champion of Russia grappling, Bagautinov certainly has a resume fitting of the role he accepted. However, Bagautinov also tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) prior to his UFC 174 flyweight title fight against Demetrious Johnson. He is currently nearing the end of his suspension.