Idman.biz
"Azerbaijani UFC fighter Rafael Fiziyev should have protected himself and done everything possible to avoid injury."
These thoughts were expressed by the famous Azerbaijani MMA coach Shahriyar Abbasov in an interview with Idman.biz.
He spoke about Fiziyev's fight with former UFC champion, Brazilian Charles Oliveira, which did not take place.
It should be reminded that the main match of the UFC tournament, which will be held on October 11 in Rio de Janeiro, was supposed to be this fight. However, Fiziyev refused to enter the ring due to a knee injury.
"Of course, this was very negative for his career. Moreover, he was removed from the competition less than a month before the tournament. Usually, after such cases, the UFC does not give the athlete an opponent for a long time. Unfortunately, Rafael was injured, but no athlete is insured against this risk," Abbasov said.
He also emphasized that the athlete should protect himself and stay away from heavy loads shortly before the fight:
"That's why I always say that every professional fighter should have a qualified coach who monitors the entire preparation process."
Speaking about Fiziyev's future opportunities, Abbasov added: "Now he will have to have several fights with low-ranked opponents to win an important match again. Moreover, time is also working against him – Fiziyev is already 32 years old, and it becomes more difficult for him to return to the octagon every year. But we hope that we will see his victories again next year."
Teymur Tushiyev
