Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why he didn’t answer questions at UFC 242 media day
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Khabib Nurmagomedov has said all he wants to say.
The reigning UFC lightweight champion was noticeably absent from the media day events on Thursday outside of showing up to face off with opponent Dustin Poirier and then turning around and leaving again.
Fighters are typically required to speak to the media as part of fight week obligations but Nurmagomedov joins Nate Diaz as athletes who have recently been given exemptions from appearing alongside their opponents to answer questions from the media.
On Friday following the UFC 242 weigh-ins, Nurmagomedov lashed out while explaining why he didn’t appear at media day to answer questions earlier this week.
“He asked me yesterday, I don’t come to media [day]. I said I come but I don’t talk with media. I come, stare down, and I leave. But why I don’t talk with media? Because three months, same questions,” Nurmagomedov stated. “Father? What do you think about Dustin? What do you think? You respect him? No? How was your training camp?
“90 percent the same thing. Right now, same thing.”
According to Nurmagomedov, he was ready to leave the UFC 242 weigh-ins after another face off with Poirier but this time the promotion mandated that he stay behind to speak to reporters.
“Right now, I want to leave but they say no, you have to go,” Nurmagomedov revealed. “You guys have 90 percent same questions. How many times I give answer about my father? Maybe for this week 15 or 20. One question.”
While Nurmagomedov has headlined past UFC events, the card in Abu Dhabi on Saturday has him front and center as the marquee star on the card, which means he’s getting the bulk of the attention.
It appears frustration over answering similar questions repeatedly was enough for Nurmagomedov to duck out of media day on Thursday but he couldn’t escape the UFC’s request for interviews on Friday.
The good news for the undefeated champion is that with weigh-ins wrapped up, Nurmagomedov doesn’t have to say another word until he sets foot in the cage on Saturday to do battle with Poirier in the title unification bout headlining UFC 242.
