UFC welterweight Wellington Turman explained why his fight at UFC Abu Dhabi against Islam Dulatov was canceled on fight day.
Fans were greatly looking forward to seeing Turman and Dulatov meet in the center of the Octagon last Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, the fight was canceled at the last minute, with illness listed as the reason for the fight being scrapped.
Other than that, there were no details provided, even though fans were left wondering exactly what happened. Now, we know why.
Wellington Turman Explains Why Islam Dulatov Fight Was Scrapped
Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Turman explained why the fight with Dulatov was scrapped at the last minute, based on what Dulatov’s team told him in a conversation after news of the fight cancelation was revealed.
“There’s no way you can fight if you’re sick and not feeling well, but I think it showed a bit of a lack of professionalism. The guy has everything he could possibly need in the UFC. There’s the UFC PI, where these people put together an entire plan to make sure a fighter is at his best on fight night. After the weigh-in, I also wanted to eat some chocolate or something different from what we’ve been eating during the weight cut, but I know that won’t help me perform at my best on fight day, so I try to avoid it,” Turman said.
“His team told us he was following a bodybuilding coach who isn’t even from the MMA world. They said that coach gave him some shakes, and that’s what made him sick. That’s one thing I don’t understand. The guy isn’t even from the fight game, and he’s the one advising him. But what can you do? If someone’s sick, there’s nothing you can do about it. I wish him a speedy recovery, and I hope he’s back as soon as possible.”
Wellington Turman Cautious About Rebooking
When asked if he would be interested in getting the fight against Dulatov rebooked, which is typical when a fight gets canceled for something like a fight-day illness, Turman said that he is cautious about saying yes to fighting Dulatov again based on what happened with this first fight being scrapped.
“I hope he doesn’t make that mistake again and starts listening to the specialists at the UFC PI. But yeah, I’d be a little cautious (rebooking this fight) because I want to get to fight night and actually be able to show my work. We get part of the money, but it’s not what I was hoping for. I was expecting to get that win, maybe earn a bonus, and most importantly, show my work and how much I’ve improved during this time,” Turman said.
We’ll see if the UFC ends up rebooking this fight, but either way, Turman is not going to feel confident that the fight actually takes place until the two men are locked inside the Octagon. Until then, Turman will feel like it’s not a lock to actually take place.
Wellington Turman Explains Islam Dulatov UFC Fight Cancelation