Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach Fires Back at Claim Champ Chose to Withdraw From UFC 249

Although Khabib Nurmagomedov has explained several times now why he ended up back in Russia, and why his bout with Tony Ferguson fell through (again), some fans are apparently still criticizing the champ for what transpired.

Well, more recently Nurmagomedov’s longtime striking coach, Javier Mendez, took another stab at dispelling that narrative.

Mendez says Nurmagomedov did not to chose to “sit out”

Nurmagomedov was booked to face Ferguson on April 18th in the headliner of UFC 249. But, as the promotion scrambled to find a new location for the card, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Khabib ended up leaving the U.S.

The lightweight champ has since reported that he headed to the United Arab Emirates, because his team was told UFC 249 could happen there. After they weren’t allowed in, however, he returned to his native Dagestan in Russia.

Ultimately, Russia also enacted a travel ban and Nurmagomedov was forced out of the now-canceled, UFC 249 card. But, despite Nurmagomedov’s statements on what transpired, some folks have claimed the champion headed back to Russia, as a means to avoid traveling and fighting at UFC 249.

Well, during a recent Q&A on YouTube, Mendez had this to say about that narrative (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“He didn’t choose to sit it out. 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.”

Criticisms of Nurmagomedov are ridiculous

There’s a couple of things to look at here. First, what Nurmagomedo and his team have reported about why he ultimately wound up in Russia, seems to add up. 

The travel ban in Russia was enacted after Khabib was already there, and when it was passed, the UFC had no location set for UFC 249.

So, the argument any of Khabib’s statements are just a cover for him not wanting to fight Ferguson doesn’t add up. Nurmagomedov repeatedly pushed for a fight with Ferguson in 2019 and after all this happened,  he said he still wants to fight “El Cucuy”.

But, even if Khabib decided he wanted to be with his family during this time, and not risk getting stranded in another nation is completely understandable.