Dana White is actively refusing to let the bizarre Namo Fazil incident slide without internal discipline. Fazil stated earlier this week that approximately 15 Chechen men confronted him inside his hotel room during his weight cut ahead of his Dana White’s Contender Series fight against Kaik Brito. The incident reportedly involved UFC fighter Baisangur Susurkaev and drew immediate attention from Khamzat Chimaev, instantly becoming one of the wildest talking points in the sport. The UFC CEO recently addressed the chaotic situation during a scheduled media appearance.
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Following his catastrophic third-round knockout loss to Brito, the fighter known as ‘Grandson of Saladin’ spoke out about the alleged confrontation on his personal social media accounts. At the subsequent UFC Sacramento post-fight press conference, White made it abundantly clear that the promotion was already working on the situation behind closed doors. The promoter expressed frustration that the incident was ever made public in the first place.
“You guys have no idea how much s— goes on in this business behind the scenes, and I said at the press conference that we had kind of a weird week here,” Dana White said. “I didn’t even talk about it. You guys wouldn’t even know if he didn’t talk about it.
“We handled it behind the scenes, and that’s the business we’re in. Lots of crazy s— happens every day in this business.”
Namo Fazil previously provided his version of events, claiming that approximately 15 people entered his room on the day of the weigh-ins.
“My coach opened the door and 15 people came inside,” Fazil said on his Instagram. “They were 15 Chechens who had come into the room. They had an intention behind coming there.
“I didn’t want to fight, but eventually I did react. But that wasn’t a fight I wanted.”
Fazil also claimed that Baisangur Susurkaev slapped him twice during the altercation after he refused to throw the first punch. Despite the terrifying pre-fight event, Fazil courageously went ahead with his scheduled matchup against Brito. He ultimately suffered a heartbreaking third-round knockout after appearing to be highly competive against the Brazilian prospect. Had he won, the controversial fighter would’ve found his way to the UFC and maybe continued his feud with Arman Tsarukyan.
It is also worth noting that Khamzat Chimaev also addressed the controversy after Namo Fazil’s allegations brought significant attention to the incident.
Khamzat Chimaev calls for Chechens and Kurds to remain united after Namo Fazil’s claims
In a video uploaded on his Instagram a few days ago, the former UFC middleweight champion requested both sides not to allow the confrontation to create broader tensions between his fellow Chechen and Fazil’s Kurdish community.
“Assalamu Alaykum, my brothers,” Chimaev said. “I just want to say that if something happens between two men, they need to sort things out between themselves without letting media make (beef) between nations.
“We all are brothers. Chechens and Kurds, we are Muslims, and we should stay united. I’m not happy with the things that happened.”
‘Borz’ also expressed respect for the Kurdish people while acknowledging the significance of Fazil’s cultural background.
“I respect strong Kurdish people,” Chimaev continued. “When someone speaks bad then he should know there always will be consequences.
“Salahuddin Ayyubi was one of the greatest warriors there ever been in this world; because of the respect for him, I named my brothers son Salahuddin.”
His teammate in question, Susurkaev, clearly doesn’t feel the same as Chimaev, though, as he has continued to defend his actions online. According to the fighter, the act might have been a response to Fazil’s previous comments, where he described Dulatov as “soft” and “feminine”.
“If you talk s— about someone, you have to pay,” he said on his Instagram story. “It’s what happened to (Fazil); it’s what happens to everybody who talks like this, I promise you.
“Send messages from official accounts and then we will see (what happens).”
With Dana White admitting that the UFC has already addressed the situation internally, it appears that the promotion will not issue any further public statement about the incident.
