#ufc
#FamilyFirst pic.twitter.com/dhxTq1DnXI— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib)
March 24, 2022
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Khabib
Nurmagomedov has chosen a side in the Jorge
Masvidal–Colby
Covington fracas.
On his social media on Thursday, Nurmagomedov called for fighters
to stop accepting matches with Covington based on the American’s
conduct when building up fights. The former champ took issue with
some of the things Covington said in his buildup against Masvidal
at
UFC 272 in March. Masvidal claimed that Covington spoke ill of
his family, including his children, and that did not
sit well with “Gamebred” or Nurmagomedov. Masvidal himself
promised that it would be “on sight” – meaning that if they ran
into one another on the street, they would fight – following their
encounter in the Octagon, and Nurmagomedov believes that Covington
crossed a line that should never been crossed.
“If you are stronger than someone inside the Octagon, it does not
mean that you can insult his children,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “No one
has the right to insult someone’s family. Once you have gone down
this path, then be ready to back up your words. You were attacked
by a professional fighter, the same as you are, your own size, and
you go press charges against him to the police?”
Nurmagomedov continued, “I think all welterweights should refuse to
fight Colby, just don’t accept fights with him, let him sit without
a fight, it will probably significantly affect him and all fighters
who even think of insulting families, who is provoking the fighters
to look for someone in restaurants to deal with him.”
On Monday night, Covington and Masvidal allegedly got into an
altercation outside of a Miami restaurant, resulting in Masvidal’s
arrest and charges for battery by inflicting great bodily harm and
criminal mischief. Per police documents obtained by
MMA Fighting on Thursday, Covington made a formal statement to
police. In his statement, “Chaos” claimed that Masvidal assaulted
him outside of the Papi Steak Restaurant, resulting in a fractured
tooth, slight injury to his wrist and damage in the amount of
$15,000 to his Rolex watch that cost $90,000. Masvidal has
subsequently been released on bond.