Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez responded to critics claiming the lightweight champion decided to sit out UFC 249.
Nurmagomedov received plenty of criticism and accusations of “ducking” Tony Ferguson after he had to pull out of their scheduled title fight after getting stuck in Russia due to a cross-border travel ban amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Eagle” was originally traveling to Abu Dhabi from the United States as that’s where he claims to have been told the fight would happen. But when the borders were closed on his arrival, he returned home to Russia which would later enforce the cross-border travel ban ruling him out.
In the end, it was the right move as UFC 249 — set to take place on tribal land in California on April 18 — was eventually canceled. Regardless, Mendez decided to speak on the matter:
“He didn’t choose to sit it out,” Mendez said during a fan Q&A on YouTube (via MMA Fighting). “He just went back home and he was waiting and training and waiting for a location. So he didn’t choose to sit out anything. They couldn’t give him a location and then he couldn’t get permission. He wasn’t gonna be able to get permission, so he didn’t really sit anything out. He didn’t get permission and he didn’t get the location and now we know why he didn’t get the location because of fear of it leaking out. Because it leaked out, now look, there is no show.
“He did absolutely the right thing when he was told to go to Abu Dhabi because the show more likely was going to be there, and then he would go home from there if that didn’t work out, but that was the plan, and then train at home and then see what happens.”
For now, all we can do is wait for the world to return to normal and then rebook Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. The Dagestan native previously hinted at returning in August, but as per his latest post, September also seems to be an option.
Those are the two options that make sense according to Mendez:
“We may see him in August or we may see him in September,” Mendez added. “If it’s August, I believe it’s San Francisco. If it’s September, I believe it’s Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. So yeah, that’s when we’ll see it. One of those.”
Do you agree with Mendez?